Nail in my hand from my creator
by dbzfreak2
Summary: FINISHED! COMPLETE! You should just read it, its about Rinoa in this cult and Squall trying to save her. Its really sweet, and kinda sinister all at the same time.
1. Ugly

Disclaimer: I don't own final fantasy 8.  
  
Rinoa Heartilly walked down the hallway with her head facing the floor. She didn't look at the people who she knew were staring at her. She just continued with her head bowed, trying not to hear and trying not to see the people snigger and laugh at her.  
  
She wore her hair in a braid at the back and a long old styled skirt; she also had a black blouse on that was done up to the top button and baggy on her.  
  
The clothes, hair and lack of accessories masked the beautiful face that she had and made her seem like a freak to her peers, but her father always forced the rule upon her that beauty was a evil thing and that she should pray that her years come quickly so she could better serve God.  
  
That was her main problem. Her family was part of an isolated religious sector that didn't allow her to talk to anyone other then the people in it, to follow rules that prohibited her from doing anything and to make her seem as little as possible.  
  
She hated it, and people hated her for it. The perception of people was that she thought she was better then everyone else. But this could not be further from the truth. She felt below everyone else. Like a bit of dirt you would scratch off your shoe.  
  
The worst part of it was she believed in God, but she didn't in reality love him enough to devote her entire life to him.  
  
Unfortunately this was the road ahead for Rinoa; she was already engaged to be married. An arranged marriage of course, she was to marry a man called John Pastor. "A good Christian name," or so her father said. But she thought it was boring, it lacked the excitement that she craved.  
  
She past the cliché of friends that always met by their lockers. Rinoa wasn't allowed a locker, her father said that the devil is in everyone and her belongings would be stolen by Satan's rouges.  
  
She heard the girl with the brown hair giggling and caught a glimpse of her hanging off her boyfriends arm. She thought that that group were wonderful.  
  
They seemed so rough. Scars, long hair and tattoo's on the boys, short skirts, tight tops and feminine ways about the girls.  
  
Rinoa sighed to herself; she knew that she could never associate with those people. But it didn't really bother her, she was used to it by now, she had her own friends anyway. Admittedly they were all part of the religious sector but at least she could talk to someone.  
  
"God that's an ugly bitch."  
  
Seifer Almasy made his usual comment about the girl that always walked past; he didn't know her name so referred to her as 'ugly bitch'.  
  
Seifer Almasy was a cocky and arrogant teenage boy, even by teenager's standards. He had short blonde hair that he usually whisked back, today was no different except he had a couple of strands hanging over his forehead. It may not sound that great but this was a dramatic fashion change for Seifer and several people had already commented on it. He had crystal blue eyes that would've seemed welcoming and friendly had it not been for the eternal smart ass smirk on his face. And also for the fact that there was a dominating scar running between them.  
  
He wore a pair of black baggy jeans with black shoes, a blue baggy t-shirt with the word shiznit written on it, shiznit was a popular saying among teenagers. He had his usual silver men's necklace on and a rather large watch that seemed to have everything but the time on it.  
  
"I tend to disagree, I think she had real potential."  
  
That was Quistis Trepe, a gem amongst the sea of pearls. Or at least that's what the love letters said. In case you haven't realized she is beautiful.  
  
She had long cherry blonde hair that she tied half up. The back in a bun with the top half around her face. Her hair was really long so it was a very unique looking hair style, but she pulled it off. She had blue eyes that seemed more like oceans. Not because they were big or anything but because they seemed to hold so much depth, but there was a tinge of pain held in those eyes that a lot of people didn't pick up on.  
  
She wore a see-through white, three quarter flared sleeved top, with a sleeveless orange top underneath. She had tight flared jeans on that had orange stitching; color coordination was a must to her. She wore brown slave sandals and was known to wear reading glasses, but not today.  
  
"Yeah cut the girl some slack. Her old's are like devil worshipers or something."  
  
Irvine Kinneas, he was a bit dull-headed but a good guy with a big heart. Especially when it came to the opposite sex. Unfortunately for him he was tied down with a girlfriend, but he didn't see that as a burden.  
  
He had dark brown eyes that were always smiling (I'm not crazy dick! The eyes of someone who's happy!). He had long dark hair that he tied in a pony tail going down his back. He usually wore a comical leather cowboy hat over it but know one had the guts to give him shit about it, except Seifer.  
  
He wore dark cargo pants and a black baggy t-shirt that had a small white sentence on it saying "In a world of nothing, fear does not exist; this is the world all life desires." And brown shoes.  
  
"No I don't think that's it, I think their really religious, like Jehovah witnesses or something."  
  
Zell Dincht. He was an energetic person and seemed to never think before talking. He called it a severe case of "Foot in mouth disease," where you wish you could put your foot in your mouth to stop yourself from talking. He had aqua green eyes and a long tattoo going down his face. The tattoo started beside his ears and seemed to spurt out from there. It curled around his eye and went down to the bottom of the side of his face. The school had tried to expel him for it, but found that keeping him in saved the argument from Ma Dincht and the cost of cleaning their house after Zell had finished egging it.  
  
He wore baggy lightish blue jeans with a red t-shirt, no writing but a black jacket over it. He had red shoes.  
  
"Yeah Zell's right, wouldn't a devil worshiper be wearing some fully outrageous clothes?"  
  
This was Selphie Tilmitt. Irvine's girlfriend. She was an unusual teenager for the fact that she never seemed to have mood swings, and she had a general love of life. This is possibly why it was so easy to like her. She had mousy brown hair that flipped outwards at the bottom. Her eyes were a shimmering green that shone an innocence that was lost to mostly everyone as soon as they turned five, but she had retained hers.  
  
She wore a short baby blue denim mini skirt with a white lace material added at the bottom. A white tight sleeveless t-shirt that had *Spoiled* written in metallic pink across the front with white tennis shoes.  
  
"What do you think Squall?" Irvine asked.  
  
Squall looked up from the bit of lose material the bottom of his dark blue shirt.  
  
"Huh?" Squall huffed out.  
  
Squall was a strange and enigmatic person. He had changed a lot since he first had been when they met him, but he still retained some of his more distant qualities. At least he smiled now. He had blue-gray eyes that had a scar going between them, identical to the one on Seifer's face, except tilted to the opposite direction. He had dark brown hair that seemed to have a mind of its own.  
  
He wore baggy blue jeans, a white muscle top underneath a dark blue buttoned up shirt, with black steel caped boots. He had a long chain around his neck with a silver lions head at the bottom of it, which he never took off. To go with this he had a ring that matched it.  
  
"What do ya reckon, devil worshiper or overly religious?" Irvine repeated.  
  
Squall contemplated the question for a minute before he replied, "I couldn't care less."  
  
At that moment the bell signaling first period went off and everyone parted ways to go to their respected classes.  
  
A couple of hours later at lunch.........  
  
Squall sat at his usual table waiting for his friends to get there. He had gotten out of class early and had decided just to come to the cafeteria and wait. He noticed the girl they had been talking about earlier was in there as well.  
  
Squall looked indolently at his watch. It said that he had fifteen minutes to go till lunch time. He started shaking his leg in a desperate attempt to make time pass quicker, but it wasn't working. So he got up, he walked over to where Rinoa was sitting and sat on the table to the side of her. She was sitting on the seat of course.  
  
"Hey your Rinoa aren't you?" Squall asked.  
  
Rinoa looked sheepishly around, as if checking no one was watching, then replied.  
  
"Yeah, and your Squall."  
  
Squall smiled at her shyness. He lifted up her chin with one finger and flung a couple of strands out of her face. He was expecting to see the 'ugly bitch' that walked past every day. But instead he saw an angelic face, hidden beneath a false fact that she was to be ignored.  
  
He looked into her eyes, they were a chocolate brown and she had light brown streaks in her dark brown hair. He had never noticed before.  
  
"Yes I am. Why do you dress like this? You could be really gorgeous if you did something else with your hair and changed your clothes." Squall asked with a questioning in his voice that Rinoa knew she would have to answer.  
  
"Because I am not allowed to wear anything other then this. Decoration of ones self is a distraction from God."  
  
Squall screwed up his face and removed his hand, as soon as he did so she dropped her head again. He rolled his eyes and lifted her face again.  
  
"Whats wrong with wanting to look good?" Squall enquired.  
  
Rinoa was averting her eyes from his; instead she was looking at the walls.  
  
"God didn't put us on earth to impress."  
  
It started to annoy Squall that she wouldn't look at him. Usually if he was doing this to a chick she would be all over him by now, but it was like she didn't care that he existed.  
  
"Why? Cause it's a distraction." Squall laughed.  
  
Rinoa felt like frowning at him and telling him where to stick it, but she had been taught from an early age that men hold more importance than women so she held her tongue and replied.  
  
"Yes."  
  
Squall had been hoping she would say that, he had the perfect comeback to that.  
  
"But isn't talking to boys a distraction?"  
  
Squall smirked at his answer, he thought he was really clever for that and couldn't wait to see her dumbstruck face, but instead she looked him dead in the eye and said.  
  
"This is why I am going to leave right now. I'm sure my fiancé wouldn't appreciate me congregating with other males, especially one's out of our sector. Goodbye Squall Leonhart, may god bless your days with success."  
  
Rinoa got up and walked out.  
  
Squall looked after her with a look of pure shock. He saw a power in her, a power that you didn't see in beaten down religious nuts. He knew at that moment he had to get her out. But didn't know how and knew that he needed his friends help.  
  
All of Squall's friends are there and he had just told them about the  
events and how he wants to get her out.  
  
"Jesus Squall, look over at her table. You can't just go around bringing strays home!" Seifer complained.  
  
"Listen I understand if you don't want to be a part of it. After all I have made it seem like kidnapping, but she'll be about sixteen right? if we convince her to leave it's not against the law!" Squall reasoned.  
  
Everyone looked at each other. Nobody wanted to talk first, Squall seemed overly excited about it and it sounded like he had a crush on her. Not worth going out of their way for. That was until Selphie said.  
  
"Well I'm in, whatever you want me to do I'll do!"  
  
Irvine sighed, that meant that he had to help as well.  
  
"I spose I can't leave ya hanging here. But like........ It won't be breaking the law or something will it? My dads a cop remember." Irvine asked.  
  
"Nah, just convince her to leave it." Squall replied.  
  
Quistis looked around the group then said, "Well you guys need someone with a brain to help you, so I'm in."  
  
Seifer was the next to agree.  
  
"I need a laugh."  
  
They all waited with baited breath for Zell's answer, they knew he'd agree but couldn't be sure.  
  
"If ya shout me a hotdog I'm in for sure!"  
  
Squall smiled triumphantly, this was the biggest thing to do since getting Quistis and Seifer together.  
  
They had been together for about two months now, but didn't really act like a couple.  
  
"Sweet as. Has anyone got a class with her next?" Squall asked.  
  
Selphie grinned triumphantly then said "I do I do, and I don't think she had any friends in it either so they can't gang up on me!"  
  
"I don't think they would anyway." Quistis laughed.  
  
* HEY QUISTIS WILL YOU MARRY ME??!!*  
  
Quistis put on a nervous smile, that boy was about to die.  
  
Seifer closed his eyes in annoyance. He got up from his seat and headed straight for the boy who yelled it.  
  
The group continued their conversation talking over the painful cries of the random boy who yelled at the wrong chick.  
  
"Such violence, I can't wait to move to the town with our own school." one of Rinoa's friends said.  
  
"Father told me that it might not be even happening. He said that because of the sin that they haven't cast out of that place it would be easier to just stay where we are." another girl commented.  
  
"What did your father say Rinoa? Surely as our leader he has more to say on it than most."  
  
Rinoa looked up from her barely eaten apple and replied.  
  
"Father does not tell me. He said that it is not a woman's place to discuss such things. Or to be interested in things that do not concern us."  
  
4th period. Operation free Rinoa begins.  
  
Selphie walked into the classroom, slightly late as per usual, but the teachers were used to her tardiness.  
  
Selphie glanced around the room and quickly spotted Rinoa.  
  
She was all by herself at the side. Selphie grinned to herself and took the seat beside her. This was Module so they weren't really expected to do anything.  
  
"Hey Rinny. What you doing?" Selphie said.  
  
Rinoa looked shocked at this. Like someone had just called her an 'ugly bitch'.  
  
"You're supposed to address me as Rinoa."  
  
Selphie wrinkled up her nose and said.  
  
"Yeah, but nicknames are cooler. You can call me Selph."  
  
"No I shall call you Selphie. Why do you people keep on talking to me? I could get in a lot of trouble." Rinoa stated.  
  
Selphie raised her eyebrows and replied.  
  
"Cause you seem nice, and I reckon Squally likes you!"  
  
"Well that's nice, but I am engaged." Rinoa sighed.  
  
Selphie looked at her face. It seemed to loose a lot of its light when she said that. Selphie now understood why Squall wanted to help her, not because he wanted to break her in or something like that. Because she generally seemed unhappy in her little world. At that moment Selphie vowed that she would do whatever it took.  
  
"But you don't love the guy you're engaged to, do you?" Selphie muttered.  
  
Rinoa let out a sigh and then began actually talking.  
  
"It does not matter. Father said that he will provide for me. I am lucky to still be at school. I don't need an education; all I have to do in life is produce children. If I am a good wife I will produce boys."  
  
Selphie opened her mouth to start yelling at her, but thought that wouldn't get her anywhere. She wanted to tell her that she was worth more then that. To tell her that women can do anything they want, but instead she opted for a different tactic.  
  
"But what do you want to do?"  
  
Rinoa thought about getting up and moving, but didn't see why. There wasn't anyone in the room that would squeal on her for talking to other people.  
  
"I want to be a doctor. To help people, but father said that it isn't right for a woman to want such things."  
  
Selphie slumped in her seat. She couldn't get through to this girl so she chose to sit in silence till she came up with a better plan. It would be easier if she had someone smart with her so they could do the thinking. But it seemed that Rinoa was going to do the talking for her.  
  
"I like you Selphie. You're nice."  
  
Selphie grinned. Then it came to her, to establish friendship would be the first step. She couldn't expect her to leave her cult thing just like that; she had to do it gradually.  
  
"I like you to Rinny, your not quite what I expected."  
  
Rinoa smiled at that. She had just made a friend. A real friend. It was a strange feeling to her, to have someone she liked who liked her equally in return just because she was her. Not because her father was their leader.  
  
After school, there all sitting on the steps outside school contemplating  
what they are going to do for the rest of the day.  
  
"Any luck with Rinoa?" Quistis asked.  
  
Selphie looked triumphantly at the group and said.  
  
"I have established friendship with her, now you guys have to, we can get her to hang out with us. Me and Quistis will take her shopping one day and bickity-BAM she sees what she's missing and comes to us with open arms." Selphie explained.  
  
They all looked at her in surprise, but had to admit even with her strange way of explaining it, it was a good plan.  
  
"Oh and Squall, I reckon she likes you, cause she had a lot to say about you. Once I got her talking about things other then what a woman should and shouldn't do." Selphie said giving Squall a little wink.  
  
Squall had the spotlight on him, he looked around the group and noticed Seifer's large grin first.  
  
'Shit I gotta say something.' Squall thought, "Yeah well."  
  
Rinoa walked home alone holding her books to her chest how she always did. He walked up the concrete path that led to her house and opened the door.  
  
She saw her husband to be and her father sitting at the table, it seemed her father was home early.  
  
"Hello father, John. I trust you had godly days." Rinoa said.  
  
"Rinoa, I pray that you aren't associating with outsiders at school." her father said.  
  
Rinoa opened her mouth to say something, but didn't know what to say, she couldn't lie about it. How did he know though?  
  
"That's what I thought. I was told of you associating with a boy in the cafeteria, with no company and he was touching you." her father continued.  
  
That was why John was there, because of this. She knew that she was in trouble but couldn't think of a way to get herself out. She had been spotted.  
  
"Perhaps it is time that she left school. What do you think John?"  
  
John looked at her. He was obviously more angry then her father. But an educated wife would be worth more then a dumb one so he said.  
  
"Surely the right discipline would ensure that this wouldn't happen again."  
  
Her father nodded.  
  
Rinoa knew that she had to stay, but wanted to go. It didn't matter what she said, she couldn't say anything.  
  
"Father, perhaps I may go to my room for the time being and continue my bible studies?" Rinoa asked.  
  
Her father nodded and she left.  
  
The discipline was a combination of extra psalm learning and extra work. Rinoa thought that she got off light. 


	2. Show me how to live

Nail in my hand from my creator.  
Show me how to live 2.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own final fantasy 8.  
  
Ok, this chapter is a bit dumb but it has to be put in cause its for the  
long run and yadda yadda yadda...  
  
Squall and his friends stood at their usual locker place. Squall was impatiently waiting for her to walk past again.But today wouldn't be a conversation about how much of a freaky bitch she was, it would hopefully be a conversation with her.  
  
"Here she comes." Zell commented. They all stood at attention. Then as she went past Selphie said. "Hey Rinny, come and talk to us."  
  
Rinoa stopped in her tracks. She tilted her head to the side, so it was still mainly facing the floor, but she could see them. "Alright." She went up to them, but didn't talk much, she mainly listened. Finally Quistis said. "God Rinoa, you have so much potential, come with me. Me and Selphie are ganna make you beautiful."  
  
Rinoa gasped at her using the lord's name in vain, but didn't mention it. "Oh I couldn't, I have to go to class."  
  
Selphie and Quistis grinned at each other. They mutually decided at that moment that right now would be an ideal time to go to the mall.  
  
"So who cares? Come on we're going to the mall, our treat." Selphie pleaded.  
  
"Go on, you can teach us some more about that dude God." Zell exclaimed.  
  
Rinoa smiled to herself. She couldn't help but laugh at Zell's ignorance. She thought about it, Rinoa knew that she would get in a lot of trouble if she did, but for some reason she didn't particularly care.  
  
"Ok, but if I don't like it you have to promise to take me back to school." Rinoa agreed.  
  
They all pilled into their cars. Squall was driving his super clean 1970 Monte Carlo. It has a ZZ4 corvette 350 c.i. 355hp motor for that added pick me up. The paint job is black with red & blue pearl. The interior has been redone in black and grey tweed. Installed is a digital dash, with an Alpine stereo, two 4/6 speakers, two 6/9 mids and 2/15 woofers power by 1000 watts of power. He's sitting on a set roadsters and his next step is to install a hydro set-up. Looking good! Irvine was driving his sweet '00 Silverado Step side! It's lowered 2 & 4 with the NEW Stile Belltech drop spindles. He was rolling on Billet Specialties- GT52 Wheels with - BF Goodrich 245/50/17 on the front & 305/45/17 on the rear. K&N Generation II cold air intake, Flowmaster Exhaust HyperTech Power Tuned engine mods to give them that extra edge. Future plans include: Whipple Supercharger along with JBA Headers! Nice, nice, and nice! Quistis drove a VW beetle her VW has an 1835cc motor with ported & polished heads counter weighted crankshaft, 40mm Weber and a 2.5 inch exhaust. It's been lowered with KYB gas strut inserts in the front and KYB gas shocks in the rear. It has Porsche 928s front bucket seats , opening rear windows Porsche headlights , 16in wheels , fibre glass guards , whale tail (off a 930 Porsche) , and custom stainless steel running boards. That's one cool Beetle. Zell got in his '70 Chevelle Malibu. He bought the car 2 years ago with steelies and hubcaps, and faded beyond repair Astro Blue paint. It currently has 15x8 Cragar S/S wheels with new tires, and it has been repainted Ford (yes, Ford paint on a Chevy) Moonlight Blue. It has a Blaupunkt CD player, and Pioneer speakers. Under the hood is a matching numbers 307, with a 2 barrell, mated to a Powerglide tranny, breathing through stock single exhaust. Zell says it will all change soon, he plans to add a crate 350, 4 barrell, 700R4 tranny, a 3.73 rearend, and dual exhaust with Flowmasters. Seifer drove a 1973 Mustang with a 351 V8. He has it rated around 200 hp. That had taken him about 5 years to completely restore to its current condition. And finally Selphie had a '58 Chevy Belair. She has a 283 punched 60 over -400 lift and duration cam. She's also added high performance lifters, double roller timing chain, and Edelbrock 4 barrel intake with a 600-cfm carb. Selphie got the car for free and saved it from the cutting torch! She cleaned it up, repainted it, removed the door handles, installed a new interior, and is having a blast with it!  
  
Rinoa stood awkwardly in front of the cars wondering what she should do. Till Selphie opened the passenger door of her car and smiled at her. She smiled back and jumped in. They drove with Selphie chattering the whole way, and Rinoa staying fairly silent. When they got there they all parked and entered the mall. Quistis and Selphie quickly grabbed Rinoa and headed for the nearest clothing shop. Irvine followed dutifully; Zell sort of slumped after them, not really wanting to go, while Seifer and Squall stood looking relatively out of place. Until finally, they caved in and followed the herd inside.  
  
Quistis grabbed a denim mini skirt for Rinoa to try on with a simple white sleeveless top. Rinoa looked at her outstretched hands and gave her a confused look.  
  
"Go to the changing rooms and try them on." Quistis explained.  
  
"WAIT! Try these as well." Selphie squealed.  
  
Rinoa got handed a pair of white knee-high boots and sighed. She headed towards the changing room and tried it on.  
  
"I look like a hooker!" Rinoa complained.  
  
"Just come out and show us!" Quistis yelled back.  
  
"Hold on, take your hair out of that braid first, you look like a nun!" Selphie giggled.  
  
They heard her grumble something, but she took it out.  
  
"Right boys, get ready." Selphie laughed.  
  
Rinoa stepped out of the changing room. Squall's mouth dropped, Seifer wolf whistled. Zell closed Squall's mouth and Irvine smirked. While Selphie smiled approvingly and Quistis nodded.  
  
"How do I look?" Rinoa asked sheepishly.  
  
Quistis let herself grin at her excellent choice of clothes for her, but stopped herself from saying anything that might offend Rinoa.  
  
"I think it would go better with this." Quistis replied.  
  
She handed Rinoa a one shoulder white t-shirt and shoved her towards the changing room. She came out again.  
  
"I think the shoes are a bit much." Zell commented from the background.  
  
All the guys looked at him like he was gay.  
  
"What? I was just saying."  
  
"No Zell's right, go get her some white tennis shoes, they'd be better." Selphie agreed.  
  
She came out again.  
  
"PERFECT!" Selphie screamed attracting the entire stores attention. Rinoa blushed shyly.  
  
"Now we need to give you a makeover." Quistis concluded.  
  
So Selphie paid for Rinoa's outfit and they ventured off towards the next store. Rinoa sat in the chair as the artist started his work. She turned around to reveal herself. She had light lip-gloss on; some natural looking foundation, eyeliner, mascara and some natural looking eye shadow, with a pinch of stuff to make her cheeks look rosy red.  
  
"PERFECT!" Quistis screamed, mimicking Selphie's outburst in the store. Selphie didn't catch on that Quistis was making fun of her so she squealed in agreement.  
  
Rinoa got out of her chair and did a little walk.  
  
"What do the guys think?" Selphie turned around and asked the by standing guys.  
  
What came out was a jumble of agreements, compliments and whistles. Rinoa started blushing and looking at the ground again.  
  
They all got out of the store.  
  
"Whats the time?" Seifer asked.  
  
"Bout ten I spose." Irvine replied.  
  
They all stood there and pondered what they should do, till finally Squall said. "Well should we go to the theme park?"  
  
Rinoa looked confused and said. "But even I know that that hasn't opened yet."  
  
Squall flashed her a grin and replied. "Yeah but my dad owns it."  
  
So that was that. They went to the park. The day was filled with their terrified screams from the roller coaster, there delighted squeals (mostly Selphie) from the impossible games and basically just having a good time. Finally 3:30 came and they thought it would be best if they departed. Well Squall did, but he didn't know where to start looking. He found Irvine and Selphie making out in the chamber of horrors. He had mentally prepared himself to find something he didn't want to in there so he was fine with that.  
  
He found Seifer and Quistis playing the rifle game. Seifer in one of his unnaturally sweet moments. He had his arms around Quistis and his hands on top of hers helping her with it.  
  
Zell was going for the record on the roller coaster, so he had to wait for him to get out of it before he could tell him that it was time to go. But he couldn't find Rinoa. Near the end he figured that she must've gone, but got an inkling that he should look in the house of mirrors first.  
  
He entered the creepy place, all the mirrors contorted to make your body seem like a mangled wreck. He walked through the place, barely recognising what was fact and what was fiction. He saw the glint of Rinoa in one of the mirrors and turned around to see her walk past in another.  
  
"Rinoa?" Squall called out, this place was freaking him out.  
  
He saw her head up the stairs. So he followed. When he got up there he saw her heading up the stairs there as well. The house of mirrors towered over the entire park, he wasn't sure how many stories there were, but he knew there were a fair few. When he got there, he looked to the stairs, she wasn't going up them. Instead he saw her mangled face and body on all the mirrors around him. Then he saw it, she was out on the balcony looking out over the city.  
  
"There you are." Squall sighed.  
  
He walked over to her and leaned on the balcony. She was standing with her arms crossed.  
  
"So whats your fiancé like?" Squall asked.  
  
He knew that he should go, but he wanted to spend a little time with her first. Rinoa sighed, she's had this question asked to her more times today then she could count. She knew that they were trying to be nice but this was getting out of hand. She thought that for once today she would be perfectly honest, so she let it slip.  
  
"He's a woman hating asshole."  
  
Squall nodded. She wondered why he didn't strike her for saying such vile things about her husband to be.  
  
"Aren't you going to do something?" Rinoa asked.  
  
Squall gave her a perplexed look and replied. "Like what? It's your opinion?"  
  
"My opinion? But men shouldn't tolerate such things from women." Rinoa exclaimed.  
  
Squall started laughing and said. "If that's true then I think that you're the woman hating person."  
  
Rinoa smiled, she understood that he was only joking but didn't understand how they could be so free with each other. She had seen it all day. From Quistis and Selphie's girlish giggles to Irvine and Zell play fighting.  
  
"Did you know that if my father had seen how you were touching me yesterday he would've demanded that you marry me." Rinoa giggled.  
  
Then it hit her, how did he know that he was touching her, it wasn't like there was anyone else in the room.  
  
Squall started laughing at this. Marriage at his age seemed so far away and even talking about it just seemed like one big joke.  
  
"We gotta go, its 3:30." Squall finally said.  
  
Rinoa looked disappointed but then her face brightened.  
  
"Cant we stay here for awhile longer?"  
  
Squall gave her an odd look and replied. "But won't your parents kill you?"  
  
Rinoa gave him a small smile and winked. "I'll tell them that I was converting a non believer." Rinoa giggled.  
  
"Alright," Squall said with a grin.  
  
Two hours and twenty five minutes later. Squall and Rinoa lay on the ground of the house of mirrors. Rinoa was laughing her ass off while Squall told her a story. Rinoa wiped a tear from her eye as it threatened to roll out from laughing too much. She hadn't laughed this much ever. So she was blissfully unaware of the amount of time that had passed.  
  
She looked up at the ceiling of the place and noticed that it too had mirrors on it. It was weird to be in a place like this to her, because her own house didn't have any mirrors. Mirrors were just a way for you to break another rule. Her least favourite of all the rules and regulations that restricted her from normality, vanity was her favourite sin. Still looking at the mirror she looked at Squall, who was staring at her, except not looking at the mirror. (She's looking at his reflection. He's just straight up staring at her)  
  
"What?" Rinoa asked.  
  
Squall didn't answer. He propped himself up on his elbows and leaned over her. Planting a delicate, yet strangely adoring kiss on her lips. Unaware of doing so she returned it. Wrapping her arms around his neck she prolonged it. After what seemed like only a couple of seconds he pulled away and looked her in the eyes.  
  
"Now what would your father say?" Squall asked with mischief in his voice. Rinoa started giggling and replied.  
  
"He'd ask why we aren't on our honeymoon."  
  
Squall gave her a serious look and then said. "You're an amazingly cool chick Rinoa; I don't think I know a chick as cool as you. Why don't you run away from your religion thing?"  
  
Rinoa widened her eyes in shock, not only was today the most fucked up of her life, but it was turning out to be the most interesting.  
  
"You're asking me to run away from everything that I've ever known! I can't do that because you have a simple crush on me. I'm engaged to be married. You can't do this!" Rinoa protested.  
  
"BUT YOU DON'T EVEN LIKE THE GUY!" Squall yelled.  
  
"He will provide me financial security and safety, like has nothing to do with it." Rinoa said in a robot voice that sounded distant from her own.  
  
"Regardless of what you say Rinoa, something drew me to you yesterday. I could've easily just sat there for the couple of minutes. But something said that I should go and talk to you. Now this can either be the biggest mistake of my life or the greatest thing I ever did. It's up to you." Squall continued.  
  
Rinoa looked at him in disgust. He was putting her in a situation all because he had a crush on her. This wasn't fair.  
  
"You're the most selfish person I have ever met. I'm going home now." Rinoa said as she got up to leave.  
  
Squall grabbed her hand on the way up and prevented her from going any further. "It's a long walk; let me give you a ride at least." Squall said getting up with her.  
  
"Thanks but I don't need your pity." Rinoa replied.  
  
She grabbed a hair tie from her pocket and tied her hair up in its usual long braid.  
  
"Turn around." Rinoa demanded.  
  
Squall did as he was bided to do.  
  
"And shut your eyes." Rinoa said noticing that they were in a room full of mirrors.  
  
Squall couldn't help but grin, she had caught on what he was going to do. He could hear her getting changed and nearly gave into the urge of opening his eyes, but stayed true to her wishes.  
  
"Let me give you a ride. This neighbourhood isn't very welcoming to young girls not wise to that ways of the world." Squall continued.  
  
"You can open your eyes." Rinoa replied.  
  
"Please?" Squall asked again as he turned around.  
  
"Oh fine, but you'll have to drop me off down the street from my house. My father would kill me." Rinoa caved.  
  
Squall did as he was asked. He dropped her off about 100 metres from her house at her request.  
  
Rinoa walked up the lonely street. She could see the sun setting in the distant horizon and the fact of how late it actually was dawned on her. She quickened her pace but knew that that wasn't going to change the fact that she was in trouble. She finally got to her plain house and let out a breath she didn't realise she was holding.  
  
The door opened easily and once again she saw her father sitting at the table, but John wasn't there today.  
  
Rinoa's father stood, walked up to her and struck her across the face.  
  
"You filthy little whore! How dare you be out till all hours of the night frolicking with some boy!" Her father yelled. Rinoa stood her ground though. She was perplexed on how he knew about Squall, and how he could call this all hours of the night. It wasn't even dark yet!  
  
"But father I was only converting a non believer. I don't see the problem!" Rinoa said in defiance.  
  
"And you lie to my face so easily! You're a plague upon this family! I know what you did today, I know you were not at school for the whole day; instead you were in the company of boys! Just like the little whore you are." He hissed at her.  
  
The words cut into Rinoa like a scolding hot knife. She felt terrible for betraying her father, but felt confused about how he knew the details of everything.  
  
"Father, how do you know of this?" Rinoa asked sheepishly.  
  
"Never doubt the power of God. And wipe that make-up off you look like a hooker!"  
  
"But God does not talk to us. We pray that he would but he doesn't. All we get out of him is the right way to turn. So how can you know this?" Rinoa yelled.  
  
Rinoa looked towards the hallway and saw her brothers and sisters huddled up, watching what was going on. She felt sorry for them. Most of them were under ten and the ones above were just pleading with their eyes for her to shut up. But Rinoa couldn't. She just couldn't shut her mouth.  
  
"Are you questioning me?" Her father said in a dangerously low voice.  
  
Rinoa was about to back down at that moment, but she wanted to know. She had to know. But she didn't know how seriously her father was taking this conversation.  
  
Reviews have been... slow. I was under the impression that no one liked my story therefore was going to quit writing it, maybe change my real name and join the circus, but then I thought 'no!' now I don't really care cause you know what? As long as one persons still reading it, I'll continue to write it cause I like this story and I think it has potential. Regardless of what others may or may not think.... This isn't to say that I wouldn't mind a review here and there.....  
  
See that thing at the bottom that says review, click on that and please do! 


	3. Beating me down

Nail in my hand from my creator.  
Beating me down... Disclaimer: I don't own final fantasy 8.  
  
Squall felt tension in the pit of his stomach. He turned his car around and watched Rinoa walk off into the distance. She stopped outside a gate not far down the road took a deep breath and walked inside. Squall watched the gate a little longer than he had meant to and when he came out of his daze he had over a million questions in his head.  
  
Why do I feel like this? What is this feeling?  
  
Ahhh, tis love...  
  
Shut up you! What do you know! Me and her are nothing alike, she's in a fucking cult for gods sake, if I get attached to her then she might be in some sort of mass suicide and then where does that leave me?  
  
Love is in the air, every site and every sound....  
  
WE ARE COMPLETE OPPOSITES!  
  
Then a thought came to Squall that he wasn't even conscious he remembered anymore. It was of when Seifer and Quistis had finally hooked up.  
  
Quistis sat on top of Seifer fighting her erg to plant a kiss on his face. Seifer's arms were wrapped tightly around Quistis in a desperate plea for her to give in to her emotions. Quistis finally came to her senses and slapped Seifer across the face, in return he rolled over so he was on top of Quistis. "WHY THE HELL ARE YOU FIGHTING THIS! You want this more than I do! I'm the sexy smooth guy you want and you're the hardcore bitch I've always dreamed of! WE COMPLETE EACH OTHER..."  
  
Oh my god, that idiot actually came up with something that makes sense. Squall thought.  
  
Finally a horn tooting at Squall brought him completely back and he was able to drive again.  
  
Rinoa cried out as her father grabbed her hair and threw her to the floor. He grabbed another chunk of it and held her head up.  
  
"Come here my children, I want you to see you sister as she really is." Caraway beckoned.  
  
Rinoa clawed at his hands and began begging him to let go, but rage had overcome him.  
  
"Your sister had been frolicking with some boy, this is bad, and what do we do to naughty people?" Caraway said in a scarily insane voice.  
  
"We punish them." The youngest of them whispered.  
  
Caraway nodded, he then pointed at his eldest son, a boy about 14 years old by the name of Zackeria.  
  
"I want you to punish your sister Zackeria. Hit her as hard as you can."  
  
Rinoa felt warm tears sliding down her face and took a short intake of breath. Zack looked at Rinoa sympathetically and punched her in the mouth lightly.  
  
"HARDER!" Caraway screamed.  
  
Again his struck her, he had to repeat this four times before his father was satisfied that it was as hard as he could. Caraway pointed at the youngest now, Charlotte, she was three.  
  
"Show your sister how you feel Charlotte, spit."  
  
Charlotte shook her head and looked innocently up at Caraway.  
  
"I SAID SPIT or you'll be down here with her."  
  
The child spat in Rinoa's face and smiled softly at her, Charlotte's way of apologizing.  
  
"Get out of here. NOW!" Caraway ordered.  
  
The children complied without argument.  
  
"See Rinoa? That's what they think of you, what they all think of you. You're not their sister and they know it, you're a virus. You infested yourself inside my family and now you're trying to suck us dry of all life, but I won't let you." Caraway whispered.  
  
Squall pulled up his driveway and parked his car. He walked up to the front door and opened it.  
  
"And just where have you been?"  
  
Squall cringed at the shrillness of the woman's voice. He turned around to see his mother standing in the doorway of the lounge staring at him angrily.  
  
"I've been ringing your cell phone all night and you haven't answered once. You know I don't mind you out but I like to at least know where you are!"  
  
Squall rolled his eyes and stalked off to his room, on the way he tripped up on one of Laguna's roller skates lying in the middle of the stair case.  
  
"God damn it Dad! Pick your shit up!" Squall shrieked.  
  
Rinoa was hurled out her front door and onto the street. She landed on the pavement beside her house. She grabbed her letter box and hoisted herself up.  
  
"Come out my family. There is something you all must see."  
  
Out of all the houses, obediently came the residents.  
  
"This here is the face of sin." Caraway continued while pointing at Rinoa.  
  
Rinoa cringed at the faces she was getting; they all started staring at her like she was the devil himself.  
  
"Rinoa has been caught socializing with males neither from our sect, made worse by the fact that she in engaged! She has made herself out to be a whore and is tarnishing the good name of our family. Never forget what we stand for and let this be a lesson to you all. Outsiders cause filth, filth is not allowed in this sect."  
  
Caraway walked up to Rinoa and grabbed her arm in a vise like grip and hauled her inside.  
  
"Get to your room, Satan's slut!"  
  
Rinoa lay on her bed in her room that she shared with the three other females of the family. Their room was pretty basic, white wallpaper, four single beds and three dressers. The youngest had a handmade toy hidden under her bed, they weren't allowed such distractions. She heard a sort knock on the door and allowed them entrance.  
  
"Rinoa what did you do?" her sister Teresa, age 8, quivered.  
  
"Nothing, just ignore Father; he just took things out of hand." Rinoa replied.  
  
"Father told us that we weren't to speak to you." Teresa continued.  
  
"Well maybe you should listen to him." Rinoa said irately.  
  
The other two sisters weren't talking to her. They all lived in fear of their father; he just seemed to be this intangible figure that had to be listened to. Teresa was always a little bit rebellious and had often copped a beating for it.  
  
"Yeah Teresa, your ganna get us in a lot of trouble!" one of the other sisters cried.  
  
Teresa glared at them and continued, "You had to have done something really bad."  
  
Rinoa just ignored her and rolled over to face the wall. Before she knew it she found herself thinking about Squall.  
  
I wonder what he's doing... I wish I was with him... that kiss... it felt so... right...  
  
The next day, FRIDAY...  
  
Rinoa looked at her reflection in a car window as she passed it on her way to school. Her usual 'friends' that accompanied her to school were walking 100 meters behind her, in fear she guessed. On her cheek was a nice little shiner from her little brother and her lip was slightly split.  
  
He can hit, I'll give him that.  
  
She saw the school getting closer and closer, nearly immediately she felt a smile come over her face, Squall was at school.  
  
She cut through the parking lot and noticed all their cars lined up together, they were all here, which made her smile even more. People started to give her funny looks; no one smiled that much in the morning, especially that "Ugly bitch".  
  
Squall locked his car and headed towards the main doors of the school, he was a bit late this morning but he wasn't overly concerned about it. He was usually early anyway. He heard someone mutter something about and "Ugly bitch" and turned around to see Rinoa walking through the car park.  
  
"Rinoa!" he yelled loudly.  
  
"Who the fucks Rinoa?" some random kid cried out.  
  
Squall rolled his eyes and yelled again, assuming that she hadn't heard him. But she just kept on walking, as if he wasn't even there.  
  
... Snob...  
  
Lunch Period...  
  
Squall played with his food in a state of waking unconsciousness. In other words he was daydreaming. All day he hadn't been able to talk to Rinoa once. And apparently she'd ignored all the others as well as him.  
  
"I say we go and confront the bitch. How dare she just walk right past as if she hadn't seen us!" Seifer exclaimed.  
  
Quistis rolled her eyes in perfect grace and rested her head in the palm of her hand.  
  
"That won't work. If she's dead set on ignoring us then let her. No loss to me." Quistis replied.  
  
Quisty! How can you be so mean?" Selphie whispered, like it was a big secret.  
  
"HEY!" Zell yelled suddenly attracting the attention of nearly everyone in the room, "Why don't we just go to her house? If we confront her at home then she might see how much we care!"  
  
"Oh yeah Zell. Isn't that just the best idea! Fuck you're a faggot!" Seifer snarled.  
  
"Yeah, way to go Zell!" Selphie agreed.  
  
"Now now children it's not Zell's fault that he's retarded." Irvine laughed.  
  
"Here's a novel idea, why don't we leave her alone. She knows what she's missing, and it's her decision." Quistis said quietly.  
  
"WHAT ARE YOU GUYS? NUTS?" Squall suddenly burst out.  
  
"... K..." Seifer muttered.  
  
"She's got no idea what she's missing. Its like she's in the parallel universe and no matter what we do she'll never see."  
  
"Uhhh, dude. We've been trying for about a day. You can't expect to see immediate results. Give it time; if you want something bad enough it'll happen." Irvine said in an unnatural wave of knowledge.  
  
Squall threw his bag in the backseat of his car and sat down in the driver's seat. He watched for awhile, all the other students walk past, clutching their books as if someone might steal them. By the end of it he was almost damn sure that there was a book-thief on the loose, not that he would've minded someone stealing all his books. Then she walked past. As she inevitably had to. Finally, after trying to all day, he locked eyes with her. She continued to walk while staring at him. He was scowling, but his eyes told a different story. He was confused.  
  
Whats that on her cheek? Is that some dirt... dirty bitch... hey, that shit aint dirt! Squall thought as he watched her go.  
  
Immediate acting needed to take place.  
  
Right I need to find out who the fiancé is...  
  
This chapter took me about two-three days to write, and I've come to a conclusion. The next chapter might be more of an exclusive into Squall and Rinoa's lives. Rinoa's life isn't hard enough for my ideas to work and Squall's life isn't, well it just isn't. Shock... horror... gasp! I actually have ideas for what I'm doing with this story. Rinoa's life's about to get *censored* up!!!!  
  
It's cool if you review. It's cool if you don't... 


	4. To the brink of my sanity

Nail in my hand from my creator.  
To the brink of my sanity  
  
I don't own final fantasy 8... why do I even bother putting that. It's pretty obvious that I don't!  
  
First I though I better thank my reviewers. I haven't had any bad reviews yet (this isn't an invitation to send one) and it's quite humbling.  
  
Once again, Rinoa came home to find her father and her fiancé sitting at the table.  
  
"Rinoa, thank God your home." John exclaimed.  
  
Rinoa thought this was a trap and started to plan her escape route.  
  
"John and I have entered negotiations about children." Caraway continued.  
  
Rinoa gave then a confused look and replied,  
  
"Please forgive my ignorance Father, but negotiations?"  
  
John stood up at her comment. He walked towards her and gave her a vice like hug. Usually such shows of affection were strictly prohibited, but her father didn't seem to mind at all.  
  
John Pastor was a towering 6"8 and about thirty years older than Rinoa. He had slightly graying hair and a firm very distinctive chin. His hands were worn from years of hard labor. He always smelt like stale beer which Rinoa hated. To be so old and not married was unusual for a man or woman, but his wife had died about two months ago and since then he'd been on the prowl for a new one. Polygamy wasn't uncommon in their sect but this particular man only had one wife. Rinoa's father had two. But there were men in the sect that had at least five.  
  
John lifted Rinoa's face up to look at his, much like Squall had when they first met.  
  
"So innocent..." John whispered softly.  
  
Now it was Rinoa's fathers turn to stand.  
  
"Rinoa, after you marriage with John you will be expected to have one child a year for the first ten years, any additional children after that are the blessing of God. If this is not completed then John is able to get a full refund." Caraway explained.  
  
Rinoa broke away from John and gave her father a tearful look.  
  
"Refund?"  
  
"Yes, he may give you back."  
  
Rinoa's world seemed to spin, she didn't understand. All of a sudden this whole marriage thing seemed so real. She was only sixteen years old, she wasn't ready for this. She felt a scream at the back of her throat but dared not let it out.  
  
"Well..." Rinoa choked back a couple of tears, "then it is decided."  
  
"Oh Rinoa, you have no idea of the happiness that you shall be in when you are my wife."  
  
Caraway crossed the floor over to his daughter; he smiled at her and then said,  
  
"John, would you inform the town that there will be a meeting in the hall tonight. I expect everyone to be there, it is very important. The only excuse for not being there is if the woman is giving birth or is unfit for male interaction."  
  
By unfit he meant they had their period. At this point of the month the female was not to be in male presence because she was considered unclean.  
  
Rinoa sat down on her bed in a state of shock. She looked out her window and sighed.  
  
'So this is my life...' Rinoa thought.  
  
At no point did she actually cry. What would crying do? How would crying help? She couldn't get out of this...  
  
Squall pulled up at his house in an unusually good mood. He walked in the door twirling the keys around his index finger.  
  
"Somebody had a good day." Laguna said from the kitchen table.  
  
Squall bit his bottom lip and thought about the statement.  
  
"No not really. I actually had a pretty shitty day. Yours?"  
  
"Perfect!" Laguna exclaimed, "The parks ganna be open for business in about a week."  
  
"Wow, that's wonderful." Squall said absent mindedly as he grabbed a yogurt from the fridge.  
  
Squall walked up to his room and lay on his bed. His head was riddled with unanswered thoughts and questions.  
  
'What the hell happened today? Yesterday she as all cool and shit and now she's a completely different person...'  
  
Rinoa on the other hand had a completely different subject on her mind.  
  
'I wonder if what happened between me and Squall yesterday would be considered adultery... if so then I need punishment for my sins. Maybe I should tell Father... I really am Satan's slut...'  
  
That night... the meeting Caraway mentioned.  
  
All the members were congregated in the large dome shaped building. They all settled themselves down in family groups. The groups were in rank. Caraway's family as well as two other families filled the first row and so on and so forth.  
  
"My children..." Caraway started, he always started his speeches like this, it was because he was considered a profit of god, "... I bring you news that I'm sure you have been waiting for as I have. God has a plan for us, never doubt that and he wants us to leave this sin city and start fresh. We are going to depart and find our own home. I will lead you out of this sin and into the goodness. In this place we will have our own rules, our own freedom and will not be ridiculed because we have faith. Your children will have their own school, not have to go to that heathen public school. We will depart tomorrow; take only what you need for God will provide the rest..."  
  
Each word hit Rinoa like a punch in the mouth. She was leaving, but she was just starting to like this place. She didn't want to leave, she wanted to stay... but if they were to stay would anything be any different? She would have to marry John just the same; at least in this new place she wouldn't have to deal with the students at that school... she wouldn't have to deal with Squall...  
  
"Now, as a celebration I issue an open congregation of the neighborhood. Just our part of it of course. But I will expect that you all return to your houses by nine o clock. Remember the early bird catches the worm."  
  
There was a loud wave of applause and Caraway put the palms of his hands together in front of him and bowed.  
  
The hall filtered out and all the people were out on the streets. It was like a festival or something, except without rides and game booths or anything else that could be considered fun.  
  
Rinoa walked down the crowded street alone, she looked around the neighborhood that she called home. But it wasn't her home. She didn't like this place. In fact she hated it. This place that had restricted her from a normal life and made her ostracized from the rest of humanity.  
  
Rinoa got sick of watching everyone pretend that they were happy and decided to go home instead. In there she found her 'other mother' and smiled at her curtly. She was never the biggest fan of that woman.  
  
As per usual she went straight to her barren room.  
  
'I need to tell them... they at least to deserve to know that I'm leaving. But they'll try to stop me... I can't look them in the eye... I'll write them a note...' Rinoa thought. She pulled out a blank piece of paper and began to write.  
  
The next day... Friday...  
  
As per usual Squall walked towards his locker, where he would meet the rest of his comrades. When he got there he saw Quistis and Irvine were already there.  
  
"Ow, Squally's got a love letter on his locker." Irvine chuckled.  
  
"No doubt another desperate female seeking his company." Quistis added.  
  
Squall rolled his eyes and ignored the note. He opened his locker and grabbed his desired books.  
  
"Well aren't you going to read it?" Quistis asked.  
  
Squall gave her a why-the-hell-should-I look.  
  
"Oh c'mon man! The last one had a picture in it!" Irvine exclaimed.  
  
Squall grabbed the letter and carelessly ripped it open. His face went from bored, to confused to angry.  
  
"Well whats it say?" Irvine enquired.  
  
"Is it another one threatening to kill your family if you don't go on a date with her?"  
  
"Y'know I had a couple of love letters on my locker for a time, then Selphie found out who was writing them and they abruptly stopped. She called it the Seifer technique." Irvine rambled.  
  
Squall slowly handed the letter to Quistis. She reached into her bag and pulled out her glasses so that she could read it...  
  
"Squall.  
  
As you read this my family, my neighbors and my church travel through the barren hills north of you to find our own town. I felt that I should at least say goodbye, even if it is in letter form. Please understand. I haven't known you for very long but I think that you'll be angry.  
  
Please tell everyone that I thank them so much for dressing me up and giving me one day of normality. I will treasure it forever and even when life has broken me it will be a shining star in an otherwise cloudy night.  
  
This isn't goodbye its just goodnight, for we will see each other again. Even if my people believe that outsiders go to hell, I can't bear to think of a heaven without you people in it. If I could choose my heaven, it would be our day... I wish I could have it forever.  
  
Thinking of you always... Rinoa."  
  
"SHE WHAT!" Seifer yelled earning the attention of the entire student faculty.  
  
"Well Seifer I'd think it'd be quite obvious by now. She left to go live in the mountains." Quistis said trying to add some humor to the otherwise bleak conversation.  
  
Seifer started stuttering for a second or two before he continued. "Why! When! How!"  
  
"Cause she had to, some time between last night and this morning and probably by donkey." Zell laughed.  
  
"Donkey?" Irvine enquired.  
  
"Who cares how she got there. But I'm ganna go find her and your all going to help me." Squall interrupted.  
  
They all looked at him in disbelief. The hills north of them were covering in snow and ice. Not nice walking conditions, but excellent tracking conditions.  
  
"Dude, you sure you haven't like gone mentally deranged in the last couple of days. You want us to go after some chick you met like three days ago and help you find her? In the mountains." Irvine said blandly.  
  
"C'mon guys where's your go go spirit?" Selphie exclaimed.  
  
"Sorry I left mine with my dog." Seifer replied.  
  
"Actually I agree with Irvine. This is ludicrous. How in the hell do you expect to find her anyway? She could be on a plane traveling for all we know." Quistis interjected.  
  
"Yeah, just shove her in you spank bank and move on." Irvine agreed.  
  
Selphie stood up from her sitting position and put her hands on her hips. She grabbed Squall's arm and hoisted him up as well and started walking towards the school gates.  
  
"Fine, if none of you will help me, then me and Squall will do it alone." Selphie called out over her shoulder.  
  
"Uhhh Selphie are you sure about this. There could be wolves." Squall whispered.  
  
Selphie 'accidentally' stood on his left foot forcefully and continued walking.  
  
They all sat there in stunned silence. Till finally Irvine started. "Y'know I don't really like the idea of Selphie going out in the fucking mountains. There could be wolves."  
  
"Well I'm going to go join them." Quistis said before she ran off behind them.  
  
Seifer bit his bottom lip and sat there for a second. "Fuck it."  
  
Irvine glanced at Zell, who had been pretty silent throughout this entire conversation. Zell looked back in a defeatist glance.  
  
"C'mon cowboy." Zell muttered.  
  
And he too followed.  
  
"I knew you'd come Irvy." Selphie squealed enthusiastically as he turned the corner where they all stood waiting.  
  
"Right... the first objective of this mission is to go home and retrieve the warmest clothes you own. Mini skirts and tank tops aren't warm..." Quistis halted in her orders to stare at Selphie, "... then I will pay a visit to a close friend of mine. She might be able to give me some information on Rinoa's sudden disappearance. We will all congregate at Squall's house in two hours."  
  
"Cant wait." Selphie yelled.  
  
"Woopdedoo." Zell said unenthusiastically.  
  
Meanwhile...  
  
Rinoa took one last look at the city before it was cut off from her sight. She was resting at the moment, hitching a ride on her neighbor's wagon. She let out a sad sigh and looked towards the sky of guidance. She wanted someone to give her a sign that she was doing the right thing. When her entire inner being screamed at her that this was wrong.  
  
It's cool if you review. It's cool if you don't... 


	5. Give us freedom

Nail in my hand from my creator.  
Give us freedom...  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own final fantasy 8.  
  
WARNING: under inconceivable amount of stress while writing this chapter.  
  
"What can you tell me?" Quistis asked as she sat down on the dusty chair.  
  
The girl in front of her looked up from behind her laptop computer and gave Quistis a quick fleeting glance.  
  
"Let me guess, you want to know about the whole Rinoa situation?" the girl enquired.  
  
Quistis nodded her head and the girl stood up.  
  
Her name was Kayla. She wasn't well known but she had a special gift. She had a different kind of beauty, which isn't to say that she wasn't beautiful. She had short black hair with red streaks and wore modern clothes which consisted of a long wrap up crimson skirt with a big meaty belt of the same color. She had a peach sleeveless t-shirt with a peach colored rose on the left side attached to the top by her collarbone. On her feet she wore blue wrap up sandals. Her eyes were light blue and stood out in her face really strongly.  
  
"I can only tell you what you probably already know. She's gone to the hills north of here. They move by foot and with so many people they don't move terribly fast. I think that they will reach their objective in about a week of travel. It will take at least two days for your crew to catch them. If you leave now." Kayla said quickly.  
  
Quistis started biting her nails in frustration.  
  
'We can't just disappear for two days. Not to mention the additional two that it will take us to get back. And that's not adding the complications that we might encounter...' Quistis's thoughts were interrupted by Kayla.  
  
"Will your parents mind if you're not in school for a week?" Kayla asked while absent mindedly pulling on a couple of strands of hair.  
  
"...no..." Quistis replied dejectedly.  
  
"Oh."  
  
"What is it?" Quistis asked.  
  
Kayla smiled softly.  
  
"You know me too well Quistis. But as you know I know everything about you... your past, your present and your future. But there is one thing I feel I must inform you of before you decide to go... someone very close to you will need you by the end of this. It won't be the person you suspect either... if you aren't there for them they will die..."  
  
*Camp!*  
  
"What?" Squall enquired.  
  
It was Quistis; he didn't know what the hell she was on about.  
  
*Tell your parents that you're going on a PE camp.*  
  
"Well I don't intend on being there for that long Quistis."  
  
*No but it should take us about two days to catch up with them, and then an additional two to get back! Do you really think your parents won't start to wonder where you are? You can say that we're going on a defense camp or something. Those hills are crawling with monsters!*  
  
"Yeah whatever... bye Quistis." Squall finished and then abruptly hung up the phone.  
  
"Where do you think your going?" Raine asked suspiciously.  
  
She eyed up the backpack under his arm. Her motherly instincts sensed a lie coming.  
  
"PE camp."  
  
"Is that so? Funny... I haven't heard anything about it."  
  
"Really? I told you all about it last week."  
  
"Uh huh, I can't say I remember it. I'll just have to call at the school to ask them..."  
  
Raine got up and started walking towards the phone. It was a bluff of course; she had no intention of dealing with the school at all. Her faith in the education system had ceased to exist.  
  
Squall watched her walk towards it, 'she's bluffing... she has to be... it's a trap... the woman's a fucking demon.' "That won't be necessary."  
  
"Why? Do you have something to tell me?" Raine enquired innocently.  
  
Squall glared at his mother and dropped his bag on the floor.  
  
So much for saving Rinoa, he thought cynically.  
  
"I'm going on a hike in the mountains to save this chick that's in a cult."  
  
Raine raised her eyebrows and searched his eyes for signs of lie. She could always read her son like a book. But there was none there today.  
  
"Well... is that so... are there going to be adults?"  
  
Squall looked at her incredulously, how could she be so much of a... a .... Parent??!!  
  
"I'm practically an adult!"  
  
Raine shook her head disapprovingly and put her hands on her hips.  
  
"So you expect me to let you go venturing out into the woods, with no adults just so you can find some girl that's part of a cult. Have you not thought about how dangerous this is? Do you realize what people like that can do to you? There could be wolves!"  
  
Squall rolled his eyes and sat down on one of the stairs.  
  
"And worse still you blatantly lied to me! Right to my face! Are you listening to me? Squall Leonhart I am talking to you!"  
  
"No your not, your just taking the situation out of proportion and contorting it into your wild fantasy where enemy soldiers from Trabia are going to come over and pluck out our eyeballs or something!"  
  
Raine stood in silence for a couple of seconds before continuing... "Well now that you mention it the Trabia continent is getting bigger and bigger nowadays and they could be building some sort of teleportation technology that is supposed to take you anywhere in the world and with that sort of power heaven knows if they ARE out in the..."  
  
"You're just being stupid, why would Trabia care about this sh-dumb town?" Squall interjected.  
  
As if fate had brought him Laguna walked in the room where his usually big happy grin. Squall saw his window of opportunity and ceased it.  
  
"Dad, there's a hiking trip that me and my friends are going to be partaking in and I would really like to go... but Mum said that it was too dangerous..." Squall trailed off innocently.  
  
Squall started looking down at the ground disappointingly and Raine just stood there glaring at him the whole time.  
  
"Raine look at him..." Laguna said gloomily, "he looks so sad. How can you say no to that face?"  
  
Squall smirked at the floor and quickly wiped it off again before Laguna could see it.  
  
'Fools...'  
  
"Well of course you can go Squall. And I expect you to come home and tell me all about it."  
  
With that Laguna turned and left as abruptly as he had entered.  
  
Raine pursed her lips together and felt an uncanny urge to hurt her only son.  
  
Squall in return didn't make it any better by doing a small victory dance with a large grin on his face.  
  
'The least person I expect... well then it'll probably be Seifer... or would I be expected to expect that? IRVINE! I bet its Irvine! No Zell... SELPHIE! Nah... SQUALL! RINOA! UGH!'  
  
Squall walked out the door and dumped his bag on the front doorstep.  
  
Selphie was the first to get there, and then Zell, then Irvine and finally Seifer and Quistis showed up together.  
  
Seifer looking quite happy with himself and Quistis looking slightly flushed.  
  
Irvine looked at them and started laughing in his sick demented way, which was quickly hushed by Seifer's iron melting glare.  
  
"Anyway... I found out basically nothing. Just what we already knew..." Quistis concluded.  
  
"Alright, shall we jit it then?" Zell enquired.  
  
"HOLD THAT! HOLD EVERYTHING!" Raine yelled as she busted out of the front door.  
  
Squall grimaced and clenched his fist to his side.  
  
"Now, make sure you all stay together at all times, and if you hear anything suspicious come home..."  
  
"Bye mum."  
  
Finally their small town was out of site and the hills were leering closer. They'd been walking for about two hours and Selphie had been singing the whole way.  
  
"I'm ganna kill her." Seifer threatened.  
  
Selphie continued her mind numbing song even louder to raise it above the idle threats that had been going on for the last half an hour.  
  
But then, an evil thought produced itself in her brain and she shuddered involuntarily at it. But anything that bad must be good....  
  
"I KNOW A SONG THAT GETS ON EVERYBODY'S NERVES, EVERYBODY'S NERVES, EVERYBODY'S NERVES AND THIS IS HOW IT GOES! I KNOW A SONG..."  
  
"SHUT UP! SHUT THE HELL UP!" Squall yelled while Seifer made a mock lunge at her.  
  
"Whoa, someone forgot to take their Prozac this morning." Selphie muttered.  
  
"Just ignore him Selph, he's ovulating." Quistis laughed.  
  
Rinoa felt a cold shiver go up her spine. She wished that she had more than her flimsy black blouse to wear.  
  
They'd stopped to rest, the entire community was getting quite restless, and it seemed that they'd been traveling for months. But her father kept reminding everyone of the trek that Moses led the Egyptians on in the Old Testament.  
  
"My children. I am sorry for this journey being so tiresome, but it is all for the good of our devotion to God. He is mighty and our journey will not be in vain. Isolation will make our complete and utter devotion only stronger and surely will give us an opening into the Lords presence." Caraway concluded.  
  
Rinoa lay on her back and looked at the bright blue sky. The ice from the ground started to pain her back and shit considered sitting back up. But something drew her to the sky.  
  
She'd always done so since before she could remember. Her mother often told her it was her trying to get closer to God, but now she realized it was her asking God for freedom. She was a slave here, nothing more. Someone else's property.  
  
Her father came down beside her then; he sat on a fallen log beside her. She sat up attentively. Waiting for whatever he was going to say for surely it would be magnificent.  
  
"Rinoa, I realize that as of late you have been different. I am told that first borns always are. But nonetheless I am urging you to keep any and all thoughts of home out of your head. You have a future with us, you have nothing with them. Your past, your present and especially your future has and forever will be, with your people." Caraway explained.  
  
"I am sorry for my lingering thoughts, but I was so used to my present where it was." Rinoa replied.  
  
"I have been soft with you, it is my fault. I thought that your being female I should protect you from the real world of this community. But now your time has come Rinoa. You are going to be introduced to your people properly. It is time that you learnt what our way of life really is."  
  
Sorry that chapter sucked. And I know it. Nothing actually happened.  
  
Alright, this chapter took me ages and I am well aware of that. But I had a crisis. I'm upset at the small amount of knowledge I have produced in this fic about the cult and its traditions, I think that learning of these might seriously influence Rinoa's decisions of whether to leave or not. I'm not sure if I want her to... what do you guys think? Oh yeah and another question should anyone want to answer it, who do you thinks ganna need Quistis. Its at the top of the chapter that someone's ganna need Quistis, I think I know who it should be but I think this person is exactly who she would suspect that it would be. UGH! I'm so confused.  
  
Your questions, comments and constructive criticism are always welcome. 


	6. You thought you made a man, you better t...

Nail in my hand from my creator.  
You thought you made a man, you better think again.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own final fantasy 8.  
  
I'd like to thank any and all reviewers for they're comments on my story. I haven't really thanked anyone for reviewing, and without you's, I'd give up on the story. So thank you wholeheartedly.  
  
Ok shock. Everyone wants it to be Seifer... I don't know if I want it to be Seifer...  
  
I thought I should add that this as well, I'm am full on sorry if this whole women are scum thing in the cult is offending anyone but I've been reading up on them the last couple of weeks and cults (from what I've noticed) seem to be generally gender bias.  
  
Squall tightened his grip on his fir lined coat tighter in an attempt to escape the cold. But as always the cold won. Irvine was basically carrying Selphie, whose lips had officially turned blue. Quistis on the other hand had refused all help from Seifer, who had offered his services. Squall suspected he was somewhat glad she didn't accept them. Zell plotted on ahead of them, he didn't know what he was doing.  
  
"That's it, its getting dark! We're stopping NOW or I'm going to kill all of you and use your bones as firewood." Seifer exclaimed loudly.  
  
"Oh my God, as if that would work!" Quistis screamed at him.  
  
"Oh! I'm sorry that didn't comply with your scientific fucking theories." Seifer retorted.  
  
"YOU GUYS! This is turning out to be something like that movie Alive!" Selphie yelled over them.  
  
"Aye. Let's just stop. Its too cold and I wanna fire." Squall mumbled.  
  
Rinoa walked around the make-shift camp watched the men set up a tent. This would be the tent where she would apparently "learn".  
  
She wasn't overly concerned about it anymore. Her mother had told her that there was nothing to be afraid of and that anything that her father would show her would surely enlighten her and bring her closer to god. Caraway told her that he would send for her when the time was right.  
  
She ran into some of her so called "friends" and tagged along with them for awhile until, finally, Caraway approached her.  
  
"It is time Rinoa."  
  
Rinoa entered the large tent apprehensively. She didn't know what to expect.  
  
The tent was lit but large candle pillars and she couldn't remember seeing them on their trip, which was suspicious in itself. At the end of the room was a large throne, which she suspected would be for her father. Beside it was a small bench.  
  
Her father walked in after her, dressed in a midnight purple satin robe. He had a tall weirdly shaped hat of the same color atop his head.  
  
She heard light chanting and noticed her mother and a couple of other females from the clan singing some kind of hymn. They were all wearing white robes, much the same as Caraways except shabbier.  
  
She nervously tugging at her hair and bit her bottom lip.  
  
In the middle of the room stood a hand basin filled with blood.  
  
Caraway walked briskly past her and placed himself on the throne. After him, five men wearing dark red hoods came inside. They separated and stood at the four corners of the tent, one before the basin. The chanting got faster and Rinoa felt an uneasy vibe coming from all the people.  
  
The hooded man before the basin pulled at dagger out of the cloak. The dagger was made of silver with a golden snake twisting around it; the snake had ruby eyes and had dry crusts of blood all over the tip.  
  
Rinoa's eyes shifted to her father, who had a sadistic smile upon his lips that Rinoa had only seen on his face when he was beating her, or anyone else for that matter.  
  
All chanting stopped and for a moment the world seemed to be perfectly still.  
  
Rinoa tore her eyes away from her father and onto the hooded man at the basin. He raised his dagger and plunged it down into his own arm. He made no noise, or let off any indication that what he had done hurt. He then made four consecutive slices of the same arm. He held it above the basin and watched in fascination as the blood dripped in the sink.  
  
The blood wouldn't stop, it kept flowing, the man seemed to start to drain, and his face became a deathly pale.  
  
Rinoa knew that the man needed immediate medical attention. But nobody was moving. Nobody even seemed to care about the life that was slowly fading away. They were all too fascinated with the blood. Like it held them in some sort of trance.  
  
"SOMEBODY HELP HIM!" Rinoa screamed breaking the silence.  
  
Nobody even flinched.  
  
Slowly, the man fell the ground, where his blood stained the snow under his feet. It spread and didn't stop. He'd slit his own wrist.  
  
"Oh my good Lord." Rinoa whispered.  
  
She covered her mouth with her hand and stared around the room as the members of the clan started closing in on the lifeless body.  
  
They wrapped it in a white cloth and lifted him above their heads to carry him outside. The sheet quickly became stained and when they'd finally left the room Rinoa dropped to her knee's and started weeping.  
  
When she heard footsteps coming towards her and closed her eyes to try and contain herself.  
  
"How could you? HOW COULD YOU! You could've stopped him!" Rinoa exclaimed.  
  
"Rinoa, this is our way... we do this once a month, every single person has a purpose... you saw the man in the cloak?" Caraway asked.  
  
Rinoa looked up at him disgustedly; of course she'd seen the man in the cloak.  
  
"Well, he was a human sacrifice. The people dressed like him are next in line to be sacrificed. The females chanting, they are actually doing a sacred form of praying that the Archangel Michael showed my grandfather. It is to secure the person slain to get into heaven. I am leader of this clan, therefore have to be present. You my daughter, had to see this. You've been drifting the last couple of days. I feel that by seeing this that you will see that there is more to us then prayer and devotion. There is an underworld, you might call it."  
  
"According to the bible..." Rinoa choked out, "... suicide is a hell worthy trespass."  
  
Caraway sighed and replied, "it wasn't suicide darling... he was doing it for God."  
  
"God couldn't do that... thou shalt not murder..."  
  
"This is going nowhere. You can either sit here and cry like a little child, or you can accept that this is your life. Whether you like it or not."  
  
Rinoa took a deep breath and closed her eyes once more. She tried to stand but her legs wouldn't let her.  
  
"You know what Rinoa. I am getting sick and tired of you, I got you a respectable fiancé, and yet you cheat on him. I show you the real world and you call it sacrilegious. Is there anything that you can be content with?"  
  
Squall let out a loud yawn and blew on the burning hot marshmallow till it was touchable.  
  
He'd just listened to Selphie tell an absolutely earth shattering scary story. *Sarcastic sarcastic* and was now listening to Zell's. At least his had a little bit of scaredome in it. Selphie's was about the tooth fairy battling a giant rat, or something like that.  
  
"And then she came into the kitchen with a KNIFE!"  
  
"Oh fuck! Shut up!" Seifer whined.  
  
"NO YOU SHUT UP SEIFER! YOU'RE NOT EVEN PARTICIPATING!" Zell screamed loudly.  
  
They all felt a vibration under them. It was small but grew in size.  
  
"Great job Zell!" Seifer hissed.  
  
Zell pulled the finger at him and continued to listen to the low rumble that was getting louder and louder.  
  
"Run." Quistis muttered.  
  
"What?" Irvine enquired.  
  
"Run." Quistis said louder.  
  
"Why?" Selphie asked in confusion.  
  
"Avalanche." Squall groaned.  
  
Avalanche was the most realistic thing that I could think of for my plan. I was going to have them attacked by wolves, and I did write that for a bit, but it was so 1980's. Who gets attacked by wolves? It took me ages to think of something to happen in that tent. The only idea I could get was the slaughter of little babies, but that's disgusting. Sorry the chapter was short... was it? It seems short.  
  
I NEED YOUR HELP! I have no idea how to get Rinoa out of the cult, or how to end this. Cause getting her out isn't the end. Oh no. I have a side story in mind. But do you's want it to end when she gets out? Or do you guys mind if I have a bit on Rinoa's introduction into life? If you could give me any idea's you might have or anything then I will be eternally grateful.  
  
Oh yeah, and anyone who hasn't noticed, the title of this fic is part of the Audioslave song; show me how to live. I think the second chapter of this story is called show me how to live as well. I was listening to that song when I thought of this story and all the chapter names are lyrics to songs. 


	7. When angels deserve to die

Nail in my hand from my creator.  
When angels deserve to die.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own final fantasy 8.  
  
Like a launching rocket it swept down the hill, enclosing on its prey like a lion on the hunt. It had all the elegance of a ballet dancer, yet all the destructive force of a thousand grenades all going off at once. Nothing in hell or earth, even heaven could stop it. Trees, animals anything that got in its way soon found an icy death. The only escape, to outrun it, and the likeliness of that was slim.  
  
Irvine quickly scanned the area; he had a strange ability to survive anything. He had to survive this.  
  
"CAVE!" Irvine yelled out, but the chaos was too great and he couldn't know if anyone had heard him.  
  
He reached out and felt a slender shoulder.  
  
'Selphie.' Irvine immediately thought and started running.  
  
He saw Squall's fur coat and grabbed it by the scruff of the neck. Then ran like a fox being chased by hounds to the cave.  
  
Making a final lunge he made it safely inside. After about two minutes the icy plague swept over the entrance and they were plunged into complete darkness.  
  
"Are you alright Selphie?" Irvine asked.  
  
No reply.  
  
"Selphie?"  
  
He saw the sparks of a lighter, then again, till finally it lit. And there was light. No much but some.  
  
Irvine looked to his side and saw not Selphie, but Quistis.  
  
"FUCK!"  
  
"Sorry to disappoint you Irvine." Quistis growled.  
  
"What Irvine means to say I think is, thank god you're alright Quistis." Squall interjected.  
  
There was silence for quite some time. Quistis had somehow found enough dry wood to start a weak fire, they all sat around it waiting to die... waiting to live.  
  
"This is your entire fault." Irvine hissed at Squall.  
  
Squall gave him a weird look and continued trying to ignore the situation.  
  
"If you hadn't got a hard on for some random chick, might I add the most untouchable chick in school, then me and Selphie would be probably at my house. Warm." Irvine continued.  
  
"Well you didn't have to come." Squall growled.  
  
"Guys this isn't going to help, we..." 'Someone very close to you will need you by the end of this. It won't be the person you suspect either... if you aren't there for them they will die... Seifer...' "...need to get out of here!"  
  
"We could always dig." Squall said sarcastically.  
  
Quistis glared at him.  
  
"Well then, we better start now so that we're out sooner."  
  
Rinoa felt her body drift off into a dreamless sleep. But just as she was about to hit that place of unconsciousness, thoughts of today would seep into her mind and she'd be wide awake again.  
  
'I haven't seen John for quite some time. I wonder where he is.' Rinoa thought.  
  
She didn't actually want to see him. He made her sick. But not seeing his was just as unnerving to her as seeing him.  
  
Rinoa huddled up tighter in her make-shift bed and tried once again to sleep. She could faintly hear the slight snoring of her baby sisters and wished that her head were clear enough to just fall asleep.  
  
She was replaying the events of the day when she felt a rumbling in the earth below her. Rinoa sat up in her bed and looked around; nobody seemed to have felt it.  
  
Irvine let out a frustrated cry as more snow came crashing down on where he'd been digging.  
  
"Don't try and help us now Princess." Irvine growled referring to Squall.  
  
"Don't worry my bitch I won't." Squall replied in the same contemptuous tone.  
  
"What did I say about staying positive?" Quistis snarled.  
  
Squall grumbled to himself and continued to dive aimlessly. He didn't really see the point; it wasn't like it was working.  
  
"Ok, we need a new plan." Quistis sighed after another fifteen minutes.  
  
"We could always try yelling?" Squall suggested.  
  
"... HELP!!!!"  
  
One hour, thirty five minutes and seven seconds later.  
  
"... HELP!!!!"  
  
*Guys?*  
  
"What was that?" Squall enquired.  
  
*What the hell is wrong with you?*  
  
"That's a Seifer insult! HELP!" Quistis exclaimed.  
  
*Uhhh, k... Move back Zell's ganna ram the snow till it caves in.*  
  
*What? Why do I have to ram it?*  
  
*Because, you've got the thickest skull!*  
  
*Its to protect my incredibly large brain fuck-ball!*  
  
*More like, it's to fill up the rest of your head as your brain is too small pig-shit!*  
  
"I've got a better idea, instead of arguing, hows about you guys GET ME THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!" Quistis screamed.  
  
Finally, after much digging and aggravation they got Quistis, Irvine and Squall out of the cave that had enclosed them.  
  
"Where's Selphie?" Irvine asked.  
  
Seifer gave Zell an uneasy glance before turning back to Irvine and replying, "We don't know, we haven't seen her; we figured she must be with you's."  
  
"What if she's...?"  
  
Selphie wiped her nose with the end of her sleeve and scanned the area with her emerald green eyes. She was lying on her stomach, in some sort of cylinder made of wood.  
  
"A hollowed out tree trunk." Selphie said out loud.  
  
She'd dived into it when she'd seen the avalanche. By some strange miracle she'd managed to survive. But there was a slight problem. She felt as though she was on some sort of ledge, every time she moved the log would tilt and seesaw.  
  
'Ok, I have no idea how high I am... or how I'm going to get down. Uhhh, what would Squall do?' Selphie thought to herself, 'he'd make a rope out of striped tree bark and climb out!'  
  
Caraway sat on his 'throne' inside his tent. He was in deep concentration.  
  
"Bad news I'm afraid."  
  
Caraway looked up from the ground he'd been studying and gave the messenger a quizzical look.  
  
"The teenagers have followed us. I believe they plan to kidnap Rinoa."  
  
Caraway nodded and too a sip out of the wine glass that he held in his right hand.  
  
"In my situation, what would you do?" Caraway asked the young messenger boy.  
  
"I would terminate them. They can't take Rinoa, they can't take anyone. We are all a family." "Your right, as usual, this Squall is turning out to be more of a nuisance than I suspected he would be. But nonetheless we must persevere. Hopefully the avalanche succeeded in killing him. I don't want any more blood on my hands. There has been enough."  
  
As if on queue John burst in the room looking quite angry.  
  
"How can you even consider leaving him alive? After what he has done to Rinoa!"  
  
"What do you mean John?" Caraway enquired.  
  
"He spend one day with her, and she has changed completely. It is as though she is damaged goods. Still beautiful, but what good is it to have a wife who is disobedient. I don't have time to discipline her every single day!"  
  
"Hmmmm. You are right John. Perhaps it isn't Squall we need to rid ourselves of. His father would search to the ends of the earth for him, we would surely be caught. Perhaps the one that needs to be disposed of is Rinoa. She is damaged. I've had to beat her recently. She never needed that before. She cried out in today's ritual! The most sacred of all our traditions!"  
  
"If you chose to give Rinoa to God, I would not object, I would almost be thankful." John replied.  
  
The messenger stood awkwardly off to the side hopping from one foot to the next. He felt as though he shouldn't be listening to this conversation but had no choice, he hadn't been told to leave yet, and he was, by all rights, a slave.  
  
"Yes John, I have many daughters. I don't need Rinoa. Tomorrow night, she will be no more."  
  
Rinoa had finally floated off to the dream world, when something startled her awake. She felt as though something had walked over her grave. She was filled with a sense of dread which she couldn't explain.  
  
'I'm just being an idiot. I'm probably freaking myself out cause we're in the woods and its dark or something like that... but what about wolves? Nonsense, father would never let anything happen to his people. Especially not his family...'  
  
Oh the irony. Rinoa's thinking about how great her daddy dearest is, while he plots her death.  
  
Ok, I wanna get them off this hill now. Hence the whole plotting against Rinoa thing going on. There's too much stuff I want to happen and it's not happening fast enough. So if anyone has an idea about the story that they feel I HAVE to hear then review it to me! Cause I'm getting off this hill within the next two chapters.  
  
Questions, comments or constructive criticism are all welcome. 


	8. With arms wide open

Nail in my hand from my creator.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own final fantasy 8.  
  
"This is futile!" Quistis exclaimed.  
  
"Nah, it's a complete and utter waste of time." Irvine replied.  
  
Quistis rolled her icy blue eyes and tried to keep down the scream that was boiling up inside of her.  
  
'Why am I surrounded by total idiots?' Quistis thought to herself.  
  
Squall ran a frustrated hand through his brunette tresses of hair. They'd been searching for about two hours and there was no sign of Selphie or Rinoa.  
  
He'd listened to his friend's mindless ramblings and complaints for hours and it was starting to get old.  
  
'Maybe this was a mistake... was she really worth risking my friend's lives for? We might not even find her, then... what about Selphie?'  
  
Squall started his old habit of staring directly at the ground as he walked. With a slight hunch. It was what he used to do when he was invisible. Popularity wise that is. Until he'd met his cliché, as soon as they'd entered his life he'd climbed up the social ladder till he was a social elitist. But now it seemed as though he was nothing again. Like he was a mistake in existence. The universe accidentally sent him to occupy this body instead of someone else.  
  
"Squall, your chin should be parallel to the ground at all times." Seifer reminded.  
  
He knew, how could he forget? Only losers walked like that. But that's what popularity was, it wasn't who your friends were, it was how you acted, walked, dress even down to what you watched on TV. No wonder Rinoa was oppressed, but he couldn't blame popularity for that. She didn't even have a chance.  
  
"Oh I am so glad about Father Caraway sending us away from that demon hell hole. I feel closer to god already."  
  
Squall's head jerked towards the noise. It was obviously two females... talking about Caraway. This implied that they were part of the cult, which also implied that the cult was near.  
  
Squall turned to the group to see them waiting for his orders or something.  
  
'...k...'  
  
"Well what should we do?" Zell asked.  
  
Squall thought about the question for awhile. He could just go get Rinoa, but what about Selphie? If they ran into trouble they couldn't just abandon her.  
  
"Alright, Zell, Irvine, you two continue on to the avalanche site, search for Selphie. The rest of us will go and break Rinoa out."  
  
Zell found himself breathing a sigh of relief. He really wanted to find Selphie. 'After all, it is my fault that she's even lost.'  
  
Rinoa hummed to herself softly as she hung out another load of washing. She wasn't aware what song she was humming, but she was humming. She felt a pair of cold arms drape around her waist.  
  
'... John...'  
  
"Rinoa, I demand your presence."  
  
"That's funny John, I was under the impression that I was already in it."  
  
John whipped his hands back to his sides and glared at the back of Rinoa's head. He hated the fact that she acted so stupid, so female, all the time.  
  
"As your future husband I demand that we consummate our engagement."  
  
Rinoa dropped her washing basket by her feet in shock. Sex before marriage wasn't even heard of.  
  
"I'm sorry; I just hallucinated, could you please repeat that?"  
  
"As your future husband I demand that we consummate our engagement."  
  
Rinoa spun around to meet his icy glare. His eyes, so filled with hate and anger fighting an invisible battle between Rinoa's naive eyes.  
  
"I apologize John, but I cannot comply with that order. I believe to strongly in my faith to consummate anything before I am wed." 'Why do I feel like I'm immoral? What is wrong with me talking to John?'  
  
"Well, if you won't do it willingly then..."  
  
John made a grab for Rinoa's throat, but in the last second Rinoa raised her arm. Instead of grabbing her neck he grabbed her wrist.  
  
"So you'll rape me?"  
  
John gave her a look that could melt ice.  
  
"Merely taking what is mine. You are my property Rinoa. I wanted a taste of what I could've had every night if it wasn't for the fact that you're to meet your end."  
  
With that John turned and walked away.  
  
Rinoa watched him leave with a detached look upon her face. Like what he'd said didn't affect her. But the sad part was, that it hadn't affected her, for it held a kind of normality that her life had doomed her to.  
  
'Meet my... end?'  
  
Squall, Seifer and Quistis huddled against the side of a fallen tree. They could see the camp quite clearly now, Seifer had claimed to have seen a couple of the "ugly bitches" from school but it wasn't proven yet.  
  
"What the hell are we waiting for? We know that its there cult, how many cults do you think there are in these hills?" Seifer hissed.  
  
"Shhhh. the big kids are trying to talk." Quistis scowled.  
  
"I have no idea how we're going to infiltrate their camp. We'll stick out like dogs balls." Squall sighed.  
  
"Duh, we wait till nightfall. With darkness on our side it won't matter." Seifer whispered.  
  
Quistis tilted her head and rested it on the palm of her hand.  
  
"No I still don't think it'll work. I mean, look at us. I'm wearing bright orange, Seifer's wearing a trench coat and I don't think that fur will be acceptable."  
  
"Oh, and what would you suggest?"  
  
Quistis grinned and pointed at a group of teenagers walking out of the camp. Alone.  
  
Thirty five minutes later.  
  
"And if you squeal one more time." Seifer concluded his sentence by raising his fist to the boy.  
  
"Dude, I can't wear this!" Squall complained.  
  
Quistis stepped out from behind the tree she's got changed behind and grimaced at the clothes.  
  
"When were full length skirts cool? My god child, why oh why did you choose this?" Quistis enquired pointing at the long skirt.  
  
"Oh so you like the blouse?" Seifer sniggered.  
  
The baggy black blouse wasn't exactly what you'd call the sexiest piece of clothing in the world.  
  
"It could be helped; this skirt is too far gone."  
  
Before Quistis could complain about her clothes any further she noticed the clothes they had to wear.  
  
"And umm, Seifer I don't think your in any position to diss what I'm wearing."  
  
Seifer and Squall wore a pair of fitting navy blue pants and a black button up top (I'm sorry I'm not comfortable putting blouse). They'd both tried to make it cool, but failed miserably.  
  
"Can one of you guys braid?" Quistis asked.  
  
Squall and Seifer glanced at each other and shrugged their shoulders.  
  
"What is that like a county in Trabia?" Seifer enquired.  
  
Rinoa walked aimlessly around the camp. Her father had let everyone out whenever they liked at the moment, he said there was no change of sin in this place. She watched the masses weave in and out of each other absently mindedly. She thought about what John had said to her today, about her meeting her end.  
  
'To shuffle off this mortal coil would be a godsend. Lord God, kill me now.' Rinoa thought to herself.  
  
Her secret thoughts at least that's what she called them, neither women nor men were supposed to think such things.  
  
'First my fiancé insists on my rape, and then I'm told that I shall die soon. I wish for the simple life. The one Jesus had in mind when he died for our sins. I don't think he died so that we could be ruled by Caraway the religious dictator.'  
  
Rinoa's thoughts were cut off by the sudden lock of gold that speed past her. It was a man, he had swept back hair. Gel obviously. But they weren't allowed to decorate themselves in such ways.  
  
Squall leant against a pole that was holding one quarter of a tent up with his head bent down. He felt a tap on his shoulder and looked over to see Quistis and Seifer.  
  
"She's over there. Make the nab and lets go. These frigid chicks are freaking me out." Seifer said with a shiver.  
  
It wasn't a shiver of "EW Yuck" It was a "dear god man, lets go its fucking cold." Which it was.  
  
Rinoa noticed a boy following her; she never did like people watching her. So she took a sharp left and ended out behind one of the lines of tents. She was shocked to see him still there when she looked behind her again.  
  
"Is there a problem sir?" Rinoa called out.  
  
The person didn't stop walking, or gave any indication that he was going to till he stopped right in front of Rinoa.  
  
She was slightly nervous now, after what John had said to her. She immediately started facing the ground. She felt uneasy at having a man so close to her. She felt a soft hand reach under her chin and lift it up, so that she could face him.  
  
When she finally got the guts to open her eyes she saw Squall. He was smiling, but not ear to ear, just enough.  
  
Rinoa felt a rush of relief flood over her entire body. She was going to restrain her instincts, but knew that Squall wouldn't persecute her for showing emotion. She latched onto him and buried herself into his jacket.  
  
She felt him playing with her hair as she did so. A trait that she's hated in John, but loved in Squall.  
  
Before Squall could even try to convince Rinoa to leave with him she started ushering him with talking.  
  
"Oh my Gosh Squall. I think they are going to... kill me. And today John tried to rape me, but he didn't call it rape he called it consummating our engagement. And yesterday I saw this man slit his own wrist Squall! He killed himself in front of my father and some sort of make-shift choir! Father called it a sacrifice and..."  
  
"Hmmm, whats this about rape?"  
  
"John said that he wanted to have uhhh..."  
  
"Sex?"  
  
"Yes... that... with me before I met my end."  
  
Squall sighed and bit his bottom lip. He suspected that getting out would be a hell-ova lot harder than getting in.  
  
"Well that sounds like a death threat. Do you wanna go?" Squall asked, 'Great one Leonhart real tactful.'  
  
"Desperately."  
  
*sigh* finally!!!!  
  
Well that's all for today. Cheers for reviewing if you review. 


	9. I will defy the master I will refuse to ...

Nail in my hand from my creator.  
I will defy the master... I will refuse to be his slave.  
  
To the reviewer who wanted Caraway to get beaten up by Seifer... they aint out yet... Nuff said, don't wanna tell you the tale without you reading it yet.  
  
Squall grinned broadly at Rinoa and grabbed her hand. She let herself be led by him out to where the crowd was, and then quickly yanked her hand away.  
  
Everyone in town knew that she was engaged to John, for her to be walking hand in hand with another man was unspeakable.  
  
"Where are we going Squall?"  
  
Rinoa glanced around them uneasily, nobody was giving them funny looks yet, but Rinoa knew that the scar on Squall's forehead would raise questions if it was noticed.  
  
"Seifer and Quistis are here. We gotta find them." Squall replied.  
  
He was trying to look over peoples heads, but found compared to most of the men here he was slightly too short.  
  
"HEY ASSHOLE!"  
  
"That sounded like Seifer." Rinoa said with more than a little fear in her voice.  
  
If they found out she was going to leave then they'd have more than a little trouble.  
  
Squall sighed and shook his head.  
  
"Correction that was Seifer..."  
  
"Are you talking to me?"  
  
Seifer glared at the teenager that had dared to have a lingering eye for Quistis.  
  
"Yeah I'm talking to you, I'm looking at you aint I?"  
  
"Seifer shut the fuck up." Quistis hissed.  
  
"Nah, this son of a bitch needs to know."  
  
"Seifer, leave it!" Quistis growled.  
  
The teenager's brow came together in deep thought.  
  
"Hey, I know you. You go to my old school!"  
  
All moving seemed to have stopped; even the people on the other side of the tents were still. They all glared daggers at Seifer.  
  
Seifer, feeling in the spotlight, turned to Quistis. She was also glowering at him.  
  
"Well darling, honey face, sweetums," Seifer said in a sarcastic tone of voice, "at least we're in this together."  
  
"I hate you so much right now."  
  
There was a steady shift in the crowd as somebody, obviously of great importance, walking slowly through it. Finally this stranger reached his chosen destination. Dead in front of Quistis and Seifer.  
  
"How dare you bring your filth into our presence?"  
  
It was Caraway. He was speaking directly to Seifer, completely ignoring Quistis's existence.  
  
"Well, she did it to, don't just blame me cause I exposed us." Seifer said conceitedly.  
  
Quistis nudged Seifer in the ribs hard.  
  
"You expect me, to acknowledge this?" Caraway pointed at Quistis and gave her a look that could melt glaciers.  
  
"What do you mean by 'this'?" Quistis replied.  
  
She took a step forward and raised her chin in boldness. She heard a number of loud inhales and gasps at her. Apparently this just wasn't done.  
  
"You'll teach your woman some manners. Its bad enough to bring Satan's whore into my company but to have her talk as well."  
  
"Oi, you watch your tongue or I'll rip it out!" Seifer yelled threateningly.  
  
Seifer made a fist at his sides. Quistis had been trying to encourage him to watch his temper, but he did NOT like people talking like that to "his woman".  
  
Rinoa and Squall tried to push their way through the crowd, but apparently the inconsiderate people were too busy trying to get closer themselves to even bother letting them through.  
  
"This isn't working." Squall said.  
  
Rinoa continued to try and push her way through. She held a little more respect with the females because of her father, whereas Squall, nobody moved. He wasn't used to it and he didn't like it.  
  
Finally in the end he just followed directly behind Rinoa.  
  
"Do you know who I am? Do you know what I could do to you?" Caraway sniggered.  
  
Seifer chuckled to himself slightly and started making a move like he was turning around, but instead he flung back and head butted Caraway in the nose. Caraway fell to the ground with a bloody nose.  
  
"You can't do shit, your just a little bitch."  
  
The crowd all stared at Seifer in shock, till about ten men jumped on top of him. Quistis dived on the hill of people and started punching the closest head.  
  
Rinoa and Squall at last got to the front of the crowd. They saw a rather large brawl going on in which Seifer was getting the shit beaten out of him and Quistis kept on being thrown out of. This by the way was really really pissing her off.  
  
On instinct Squall dived in and grabbed the closest head and rammed it into another one.  
  
Suddenly he heard a gun go off and stopped mid punch to look where it came from. About three meters away stood a grinning Irvine, Zell and Selphie.  
  
"Catch you boys at a bad time?" Selphie asked innocently.  
  
Irvine aimed his rifle at the group of men and made a gesture with it for them to move. Which they complied with quite quickly.  
  
"Right, I want Miss Trepe, Mr. Leonhart, Mr. Almasy and Miss-"Zell stopped mid sentence and turned to Selphie, "Whats Rinoa's last name?"  
  
"Heartilly."  
  
"Heartilly, to vacate the area right now, for we have pressing business to attend to in reality."  
  
Everyone stared at them blankly. No movement was made. Except Seifer. Seifer stood up, and stumbled his way over to Caraway.  
  
"So you're the head honcho around here?" Seifer spat out.  
  
Caraway tilted his head to the ground and nodded.  
  
"Your real tough now aren't ya." Seifer whispered, then started yelling so everyone could hear him, "where's your god now? Now that you actually need him. I'll tell you where he is, he's up on his throne, laughing at you! Because you're WEAK!"  
  
"Seifer, that's enough." Quistis said softly.  
  
"Ummm, Squall..." Rinoa whispered, "... They aren't just going to let us leave."  
  
"Yeah I know, we'll worry about that it a second." Squall whispered back.  
  
"You mean you have no idea what you are doing?"  
  
"Shhhh,"  
  
Squall, Quistis and Rinoa backtracked there way out of there, while Seifer strutted out like he was a gift from god.  
  
"Now we run like fuck!"  
  
Rinoa ran hard and fast. She had to hoist up her skirt to do it and she could see Quistis doing the same out of the corner of her eye.  
  
Squall slipped behind her and grabbed her hand again; he pulled her along and made her run a lot faster than she could've before. She suddenly wondered how many times he'd had to do this.  
  
She knew that they would probably out run them because of their lack of exercise. All their time was dedicated to praying and bible studies. She was afraid that she would fall behind but with Squall pulling her she knew that she wouldn't.  
  
'I'm free...'  
  
John watched his fiancé leave. His eyes narrowed and he felt a fury inside him that he hadn't felt since his old wife had driven him to murder. But she had the devil in her head. It had to be drilled out of her.  
  
'Don't worry Rinoa; I'll save you from Lucifer.'  
  
Squall fell on the ground bringing Rinoa down with him. He breathed heavily and heard Rinoa beside him doing the same.  
  
"Dude, I've had a lot of things chasing me, but never a whole community." Zell laughed.  
  
Zell, who was unnaturally fit, was still bouncing off the walls.  
  
"That's a lie; remember when you set that oil bomb off down McCartney Street? You had a lot of people after you." Selphie giggled.  
  
"Hey I never heard that story." Irvine whined.  
  
"Well..."  
  
Two hours later.  
  
"Guys, I'm kinda cold and tired, and I wanna get out of these clothes. Can we go home now?" Quistis enquired with a yawn in between.  
  
Seifer wrapped an arm around her and she rested her head against his shoulder.  
  
Selphie had already fallen asleep on Irvine's lap.  
  
Rinoa was just sitting beside Squall and Zell was climbing a nearby tree.  
  
"Yeah, I wanna go home." Irvine replied.  
  
"We're not even off the hill yet. We've got at least another day." Squall said lowering all spirits.  
  
"Not if we walk through the night." Quistis said suddenly finding a lot more energy.  
  
"What are you crazy?" Zell yelled from his tree, "There could be wolves!"  
  
On the next chapter of "Nail in my hand from my creator". Off the hill, therefore safe? No. if you thought that then you were wrong. Its about to get very Jonestown around here.  
  
Shitty and short, two things that are becoming quite regular with me. But it's like 11:05 and I'm tired. I didn't wanna go to bed till I finished this. But I woke up to a treat this morning, about five reviews in the night. I was so happy. Hopefully it might happen again. *hint hint*. 


	10. I've done my sentance but committed no c...

Nail in my hand from my creator.  
I've done my sentence but committed no crime.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own final fantasy 8.  
  
The stars shone brightly through the satin clouds, appearing like fireflies dancing on silk. It was a beautiful night and what would usually be noticed and praised even exalted, was tonight ignored. For more sinister plots were taking place tonight.  
  
"They failed, Rinoa got away." John growled.  
  
He slammed his fist down on the table and glared at Caraway menacingly.  
  
"She cannot be let go... do you realize what would happen if she went to the authorities?" Caraway agreed.  
  
He was holding his nose in the air trying to keep the blood down. It seemed that Seifer had broken it.  
  
"I know, you could go to jail." John snickered.  
  
"I think that they would find you're ex wife interesting." Caraway replied.  
  
John scowled at Caraway, he knew that they might find that quite interesting indeed.  
  
"Well there's only one thing for it then. We must leave, go high into the hills and never come back." Caraway continued.  
  
"NO! I want to get Rinoa, she is my fiancée, and she is MINE!"  
  
"You were willing to kill her before! She is my daughter, and I understand how you feel, but any unnecessary attention that can be avoided I want to avoid."  
  
"I never said that I wanted her alive. If you're nervous about this, then I will go. On my own. That way should anything happen I didn't jeopardize the entire community."  
  
Caraway reached across the table and grabbed another tissue; he then stood and started pacing around the tent.  
  
"Then it is so."  
  
"Someone very close to you will need you by the end of this. It won't be the person you suspect either... if you aren't there for them they will die..."  
  
The words kept on mulling over inside Quistis's head. She didn't understand. They were leaving; in fact she could already see the bottom of the hill. And the town wasn't that far away.  
  
'So Kayla was wrong for once. I'll have to rub it in her face when I get back.' Quistis thought with a satisfied grin.  
  
"What are you so happy about?" Irvine asked.  
  
"Just something that didn't happen."  
  
"...k..."  
  
The sun was rising over the horizon and it reflected off the snow. The deep reds and placid pinks coming together in perfect harmony was breathtaking.  
  
Rinoa turned around quickly. She felt eyes on her. A feeling that had been overcoming her since they'd started walking.  
  
"Can we have a rest?" she heard Zell ask.  
  
She couldn't deny that her legs felt the punishment of all the walking they were doing, but she did not want to stop for some reason. Something inside her just told her not to stop.  
  
"Nah, we're nearly there." Squall replied.  
  
Rinoa sighed a sigh of relieve. Squall said no, so all was well.  
  
"Oh c'mon man. Don't be stink!" Zell whined.  
  
"Zell's right. Let's stop!" Selphie joined in.  
  
"...Fine."  
  
Rinoa watched everyone sit down, but she felt that she should stand. She didn't feel relaxed enough to sit.  
  
John had been stalking them for the past two hours. Waiting for his chance to strike. But so far Rinoa hadn't left the group once. She'd been latched onto someone the whole way. It was either that Squall boy or she was conversing with the two other girls.  
  
'Don't worry Rinoa... I'll save you from Satan... I know you'd rather die then be led astray by these Devil worshipers.'  
  
He watched some blonde boy with spiky hair and an unruly tattoo on his face pat the ground beside him. Then Rinoa smile and sit beside him.  
  
'How dare he invite her to sit with him! How dare she sit with him! She belongs to me!'  
  
John tightened his grip around the dagger with the snake winding around it; he'd chosen this dagger specifically.  
  
The snake represented sin, and the dagger represented the flushing out of it. The only way to truly be rid of your sins is to die.  
  
He grinded his teeth together as he watched her laugh. How dare she be so open with her feelings? Women were meant to sit down, shut up and make babies.  
  
With anger nearly overthrowing him, he lifted the dagger...  
  
"Would you calm down!" Laguna exclaimed.  
  
Raine chopped potatoes frantically. She'd cut herself about five times but hadn't done anything about it anymore.  
  
"Calm down? How can I calm down? My baby is up in the hills, fighting some sort of cult! I can't believe you let him go Laguna, how could you be so irresponsible?"  
  
"Go to bed Raine! Its 5:30 in the morning. We don't need potatoes!"  
  
Raine glared at him and biffed one of the potatoes at his head. It narrowly missed. Laguna looked behind him and saw the vase smash where the potato hit it.  
  
"Ok, fine. Cut potatoes, its all good."  
  
Laguna backed away with his hands outstretched in front of him.  
  
Zell felt his stomach rumble and decided that food was in order. He reached into his back and was looking around for some food when he noticed his old school yearbook. He basically took it everywhere to show everyone how good he looked two years ago and how rank Irvine looked.  
  
'Bet Rinoa hasn't seen it.' Zell thought maliciously, "Hey Rinoa, do you wanna see Irvine when he was fifteen?"  
  
"You wanker!" Irvine called out from across the circle.  
  
Zell opened it up; Irvine's page was marked, and shoved it directly in Rinoa's face. As if fate had been kind, I knife planted itself in the cover of the book and just touched the tip of Rinoa's nose.  
  
"Holy shit dude." Zell exclaimed.  
  
Rinoa flung her head back on instinct and landed in the cold snow.  
  
"Over there!" Selphie yelled pointing at the tree John was hiding behind.  
  
John noticed that he was in danger and started doing the bolt.  
  
"Hey! That's my ex fiancé!"  
  
"Is that right...?" Squall muttered.  
  
Squall grabbed a nearby stick and flung it at John. It hit him directly in the back of the head and he fell to the ground, letting out a girlish cry as he went.  
  
Squall started doing his little victory dance with a big grin on his face.  
  
"Not cool man, not cool." Irvine laughed.  
  
"Shit! That fuck-ball ruined my book!"  
  
"Ummm Zell, I think the whole knife nearly going into Rinoa heads a little more important." Quistis said in all her infinite wisdom.  
  
Squall sauntered his way up to John and knelt down beside him.  
  
"So you're the one who tried to rape Rinoa. Well I don't like that kind of thing."  
  
Squall grabbed him by his collar and dragged his ass up. John was a little taller than Squall and definitely had a little more years on him.  
  
Squall's face contorted into a look of disgust.  
  
"You were engaged to Rinoa! Ewwww."  
  
Squall drew back his fist and plunged it into John's face. John fell to the ground again.  
  
Zell threw his hands up in repulsion; he walked up to Squall and pushed him lightly.  
  
"Damn Squall you little bitch. Didn't I teach you how to punch better than that?"  
  
Squall was shaking his hand rapidly and drawing in breath.  
  
"He's got a hard head!"  
  
Zell rolled his eyes and brought John back up. He got close to him and then took a step back.  
  
"You're a smelly piece of shit aren't you? Anyway," Zell stepped closer again, "you draw back, not too far though, aim for the nose or the mouth, they're softer and your hand wont hurt so bad. Here... I'll show you... DON'T FLINCH!"  
  
John saw the fist raised and immediately started flinching.  
  
"I SAID DON'T FLINCH!"  
  
Zell flung his fist into John's face, there was a crunch and John fell to the ground.  
  
"See, it's over now." Zell said pointing at John.  
  
Squall dumped his bag on the concrete as he and the rest of them sat down at the café. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back in complete relaxation. He thought about the three days that he'd spent out in the wilderness and smiled.  
  
'I could almost make a living out of being a mercenary or something... I'd be commander in a week...'  
  
"So ladies and gentlemen, what can I get for you today?" the waiter said in an overly excited tone.  
  
Irvine looked at him and let out a little chuckle before replying, "I'll have a coffee, a chicken sandwich and some fries."  
  
"Hamburger and chips, extra salt and a coffee as well." Seifer continued, his voice was strained and he looked terribly tired.  
  
"Two hotdogs and a sprite... no water... nah forget that sprite."  
  
"A donut! With that jam stuff in the middle! And that white sprinkle stuff on top. And some hot chips, with heaps of salt cause you guys don't put much on. No offence. And a diet coke, I'm trying to watch my figure." Selphie said seriously.  
  
"Uhhh, get me a piece of lasagna, and a chicken sandwich, with an iced coffee." Squall said.  
  
"Ok, I want a small basket of chips, do not sprinkle mine with salt, I eat it with chicken salt, and I know you have it! A large coke, and coke, not watered down coke, coke... and... ummm... no that's it." Quistis said... She came from a rich family...  
  
Rinoa sat there quite silent, after awhile everyone started staring at her. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and shrugged her shoulders.  
  
"I have no money." She said simply then went back to staring out the window.  
  
"Its all good, I'll pay for you." Quistis offered.  
  
"Oh no I could not, I can't pay you back." Rinoa argued.  
  
Irvine turned to Zell and whispered, "Pay back?"  
  
"When you give someone back the money you owe them... you don't know about that."  
  
"You don't have to Rinny, it's on the house." Selphie giggled.  
  
Rinoa sat there speechless. She looked as though she were about to cry. She started blinking hard and looked away from them biting her bottom lip.  
  
"So what do you want Rinoa?" Squall asked softly.  
  
Rinoa shook her head and replied, "Just a small salad and a small glass of water."  
  
"C'mon! Plus add some chips and a chocolate milkshake." Zell continued.  
  
The waiter nodded and walked away.  
  
"Zell! Don't just add stuff to my credit card!" Quistis scowled.  
  
"Why? It's not like you can't pay it?" Zell laughed.  
  
Quistis rolled her eyes but didn't press the argument any further.  
  
Fifteen minutes later....  
  
Rinoa stared down at her plate of food. She had chips, a water, a milkshake and a salad. She knew that she couldn't eat it all, but she didn't want to waist it. When she lived with her father she didn't get 'this' much food. Not with all her brothers and sisters...  
  
'My brothers and sisters... my mother... I just left them... I'll never see them again... this was a mistake...'  
  
"So where are we going to put Rinoa?" Seifer asked with a mouthful of chips.  
  
"She can stay at my place." Irvine suggested earning an elbow to the ribs from Selphie.  
  
"There's spare room in my house if you want it." Squall recommended.  
  
Rinoa looked around the group, she didn't want to stay anywhere... she wanted to go home.  
  
"I can't stay with a man... I just can't."  
  
"Of course you can't; you can stay with me, my parent's wont mind. I don't see much of them anyway. It'll be fun." Quistis offered.  
  
'My family... how could I? Father will be so disappointed in me. I had a life there... they weren't that unkind to me.' "Yes Quistis, I would like that."  
  
"Settled. Now I bring to order, how fat Zell's getting!" Selphie laughed.  
  
"WHAT! What the hell do I have to do with anything? I am not fat!"  
  
"You are getting pretty fat Chicken-w..."  
  
'How could I? This was not how I was brought up! I have a life with my people. I have a family, I have a fiancé, who will support me and keep me safe...'  
  
Uh-oh! This chapter took me ages, a lot of hard labor went into it, and now in return... can I have a review or two? Please? Wicked! 


	11. Trust in my selfrighteous suicide

Nail in my hand from my creator.  
Trust in my self-righteous suicide.  
  
Rinoa walked down the stoned paved road unaccompanied. Quistis had had a shower and gone to sleep, but she couldn't sleep. She wanted to explore the new world around her, seeing as she couldn't go back to her family.  
  
'I can never go back. Why did I do this? What the hell is wrong with me?'  
  
All the houses around the area were about ten times larger than the one that's she was used to.  
  
She looked down at the clothes Quistis had lent her, they were nice... she supposed, but far from what she was used to.  
  
She wore a pair of hip huggers with butterflies embroidered in the pockets and a white sleeveless t-shirt. Quistis had tried to convince her to wear more daring clothes, but she hadn't been up to it.  
  
'What would father say if he could see me dressed like this? He'd probably tell me I looked like a hooker... why am I still thinking about this? I should be over it. They took my life... God damn Father... no... Caraway. He was no father to me... but I love him.'  
  
Rinoa clenched her eyes together and tried hard to forget that last thought.  
  
'Remember what he did to you; remember the pain... he's still my father... and I can never go back there again...'  
  
Rinoa stuffed her hands in her pockets and glared at the concrete in front of her. She was never very good at glaring but she imagined that this one would be one of her best.  
  
'Exiled, ostracized, disowned. And it was all my doing. What if I hadn't gotten out of class early that day? Squall and I would never have met, wouldn't that be good? No, I couldn't go on living there. But how could I just leave like that? Without even trying to convince my family to as well.'  
  
One week later...  
  
Rinoa had settled into living with Quistis quite comfortably. She'd gotten used to Quistis's parents coming and going, they were only ever home for about ten minutes before they left again. Then back again to go to bed at night. Rinoa couldn't understand how Quistis could live without her parent's guidance, but she was adjusting.  
  
Quistis flopped down on the leather couch and flicked the television on. She saw that the news was on and started watching that. Rinoa came in soon after and sat down beside her.  
  
*And in other news today an unusual GF named Doomtrain turned up. It was said to be found when a young farmer was out using steel pipes to build a gate for his cows.*  
  
"I never really understood GF's." Rinoa said quietly.  
  
"Oh it's simple. They're sort of connected to you, like DNA. And at will you can summon them and they protect you. It's uncommon to find someone who's trained well enough to actually control one though."  
  
*... at the scene we have our own reporter Xu SeeD...*  
  
*Today a massacre most shocking. Up in the hills surrounding the small town of Balamb a group of religious followers have committed mass suicide. From the few survivors left we have pieced together that a man named Caraway led the community. He ordered them all to drink a formula of both arsenic and weed killer. Even the babies were forced to drink this. We assume that after all the people were dead, Caraway shot himself in the head, taking his own life as well as the lives of over one hundred other people...*  
  
Rinoa sat in shock listening to the report. She slowly stood and walked casually to the bathroom.  
  
From inside Quistis heard her tortured screams, then a loud thump.  
  
Caraway stood in front of his people, all eyes were on him. He smiled reassuringly at them all and held his hands up to the sky.  
  
"My children. God has sent me a message most important. He has told me that we all belong at his side, he wants us all."  
  
Since the disappearance of Rinoa, Caraway had gone quite mad. He'd already stabbed his youngest daughter because she wouldn't stop crying. He was hearing strange voices and agonizing screams in the middle of the night. Something just snapped inside of him.  
  
"He has given me a formula, one that will take us to his side immediately. I order you all to drink it, all of it. Your deaths will be swift and painless I assure you as God Almighty assured me..."  
  
Caraway watched as the entire room lifted their glasses. On their way in they had all received a glass of the concoction.  
  
He noticed a young woman, probably about twenty years old feeding her baby it through a bottle and grinned.  
  
'They are all dedicated to me... they all love me...'  
  
He watched the people fall; some tried to run out but didn't get far. Guards at the openings of the tent made sure of that. Some were just shot trying to leave. No one was allowed to go.  
  
Soon people started to wither and fall. Some stumbled around; others clutched their children, telling them that it was alright, that it would all be over soon.  
  
'Yes' Caraway thought, 'it will all be over soon.'  
  
Finally the last standing person let out a fatal cry and fell to the ground lifelessly. Caraway raised a silver revolver to his forehead. He thought about everything. It was true, your life did flash before your eyes before you died.  
  
He remember the first day he'd seen Rinoa, before he'd even started his cult. He had been normal once...  
  
Caraway looked down lovingly at Rinoa. She stared dully back at him. He waved his hand in front of her and made baby noises. Then the bond really started.  
  
Rinoa made a grab for his hand and clutched his finger. She held on, she wouldn't let go.  
  
Caraway knew then that he had something special.  
  
"You'll always be mine Rinoa. You and I are one, now and forever..."  
  
Rinoa tumbled down on the concrete with a crash. She started crying immediately and wouldn't stop. Caraway looked around in panic. There was nobody to help, so he'd have to.  
  
"Shhhh, Rinoa don't cry. Remember, you and I are the same, if you hurt, so do I..."  
  
Caraway closed his eyes and smiled.  
  
"You and I Rinoa, we are one in the same. We will always be together. This isn't the end..."  
  
BANG!  
  
Caraway watched the world around him fade into darkness as he fell to the ground.  
  
"I'll never leave you..."  
  
Sorry that this chapter is so super short, but I what I wanted to happen in this chapter happened faster than I anticipated. Oh yeah and apologies if that whole flashback thing was confusing. I know that it might seem that way but I needed to put in there somewhere that in some morbid sick way, Caraway loved Rinoa. 


	12. It's the gravity of love

Nail in my hand from my creator.  
It's the gravity of love.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own final fantasy 8.  
  
'That means... he's dead...' Rinoa got off her chair slowly. Her legs felt as if they were made of jelly and she was having immense trouble walking on them, but somehow she made it to the bathroom.  
  
First Rinoa sat down on the white toilet and wept. She managed to hold everything down. Soon the tears streamed down her face, yet she still sat in absolute silence.  
  
Rinoa curled up in a little ball while still sitting on the toilet.  
  
Suddenly she stood and started screaming. She grabbed at her hair and tugged down on it in agony. Her hands were bawled into fists so tight they drew blood. Her eyes were clamped together but the tears continued to stream down her face. She threw back her head and screamed louder than before. Then when it seemed that her lungs would pop she fell to the ground and thumped her fists against the tiled floor of Quistis's bathroom.  
  
Squall skidded to a halt outside Quistis's mansion, he ran up the concrete path leading to her house and slammed the large door open.  
  
"Rinoa?" Squall called out.  
  
His voice echoed off the walls and reverted back to him.  
  
"She's up here." Quistis called back.  
  
Squall jumped up the stairs two at a time and ran to Quistis's room.  
  
When he got there he saw Quistis standing by her wardrobe looking scared and Rinoa lying on Quistis's bed crying.  
  
Without a second thought Squall rushed to her side and gave her a gentle hug. Rinoa looked up at him from where she lay and quickly wrapped her arms around him. Squall sat down on the bed and cradled Rinoa's weeping form.  
  
Quistis took this as her queue to leave and went out to the lounge downstairs.  
  
"Squall," Rinoa croaked out, "why did this have to happen?"  
  
Rinoa buried herself into Squall's jacket tighter and sniffed.  
  
Squall didn't reply, he just stroked Rinoa's hair affectionately.  
  
'Why can't I just do what I always do with chicks? Whats so different about this one?  
  
Ahhh... tis love....'  
  
"Everyone that's ever loved me is gone..."  
  
Squall's head shot upright and he pulled Rinoa away from him lightly.  
  
"That's not true Rinoa... I... I mean... ummm."  
  
"Yes?" Rinoa urged.  
  
"I love you..." 'I did not just say that...'  
  
Rinoa clenched her eyes together again, but once again the tears started streaming down her face like waterworks.  
  
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."  
  
Rinoa shook her head and grabbed onto Squall tightly, she pulled him towards her again and held him there crying into his jacket again.  
  
"They've been up there for ages." Quistis said absent mindedly as she flicked through the TV channels.  
  
She'd invited Seifer around soon after she'd gone downstairs. He sat beside her with his arm limply lying around her waist.  
  
"Leave it alone... Squall's probably knocking boots with her or something."  
  
"I get the distinct impression that Rinoa's not like that."  
  
"Hey, the nicest, smartest girls can get their freak on too. You of all people should know that."  
  
Quistis smiled and slapped him lightly on the shoulder.  
  
"Speaking of getting you freak on, I'm kinda hungry." Seifer added.  
  
Quistis gave him a disgusted look and turned back to the TV.  
  
"Well you know where the fridge is."  
  
"I bet Rinoa would make Squall something if he said he was hungry."  
  
"Well maybe you should try to get into her."  
  
Seifer began picking at the dirt under his free hands nails.  
  
"I was never a fan of brunettes. Blondes have more fun."  
  
"Amen to that."  
  
Seifer and Quistis slapped hands enthusiastically.  
  
Seifer sat where he was for a couple of seconds before he made an overly dramatic sigh and slid his arm back. He hauled himself up and sauntered over to the kitchen.  
  
"Pre-Madonna."  
  
"Lazy" the rest of Seifer's sentence was mumbled so that Quistis couldn't hear it.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"Nothing!" Seifer growled.  
  
"I didn't think so."  
  
Rinoa let out a little chuckle as she lay on her side. Squall had cheered her up, which he had an uncanny ability to do, and now they lay on Quistis's bed talking.  
  
"Honestly I swear, if hotdogs came in powder form Zell would snort them."  
  
"Snort?"  
  
"It means like sniff them up your nose."  
  
Squall had become quite accustomed to explaining what things meant throughout the week. Rinoa just seemed so alien to everything.  
  
"Its sounds as though you and your friends have had quite exotic times."  
  
"You need to learn how to talk." Squall sighed.  
  
"Whats wrong with how I talk?" Rinoa asked in mock hurt.  
  
"Nothing." Squall replied quickly, "I like it, but other people aren't quite as accepting as me."  
  
Rinoa rolled over onto her stomach and smiled at Squall.  
  
"Other people wouldn't trek into the hills to break a girl out of her religious sector either." Rinoa giggled.  
  
Squall laughed at that. It was true.  
  
"Well I spose I'm one in a million."  
  
"Vanities a sin you know."  
  
"I'm not vain!"  
  
Rinoa let out a giggle and covered her mouth with her hand quickly.  
  
"How did you get that scar? You and Seifer have identical ones," Rinoa said tracing down Squall's face with her finger.  
  
Squall wanted to shudder or something. He loved the feeling of her skin against his own; he wanted to feel it more. But knew that that sort of contact wouldn't happen with Rinoa, unless they got married or something.  
  
"Believe it or not but me and Seifer weren't always the great friends that we are now." Squall said sarcastically, Rinoa didn't catch onto the joke.  
  
"So you gave each other them to signify the ending of your rivalry?" Rinoa said excitedly.  
  
Squall licked his lips and sighed.  
  
"Ummm, not quite... more like we got in a fight and came out with these."  
  
"Isn't it a little strange that you both had them though, I mean, identical scars down ones face isn't an everyday occurrence."  
  
"I hate to be rude," Squall said in a posh voice," but I don't really like talking about it."  
  
Rinoa nodded and rolled on her back.  
  
There was an uncomfortable silence that followed. Squall started biting his bottom lip while Rinoa began twirling her fingers between each other.  
  
Randomly Squall put one arm between Rinoa's arm and body. He leaned up on his arm and looked down at her.  
  
Rinoa could see all the emotion in his eyes. It was almost hurtful to see that they were all there because of her.  
  
Squall leaned down on her and planted a butterfly kiss on her forehead.  
  
For some strange reason Rinoa seemed somewhat displeased by this. Somewhere in the dark recesses of her mind she wanted him to kiss her lips again. To have that same magical moment as they did in the house of mirrors.  
  
Acting on impulse rather than reason Rinoa grabbed the collar of Squall shirt and plunged him down. Nearly expertly landing his lips on hers.  
  
Selphie stalked down the road angrily. She hadn't heard from Irvine all week, and apparently neither had anyone else. He hadn't been at school and it started to really piss her off.  
  
She saw Zell on the way and decided that a coffee with Zell sounded like a good idea.  
  
"Do you know what else?" Selphie exclaimed.  
  
"What?" Zell asked, he was clearly bored with talking about Irvine.  
  
"He hasn't even called. I know that he's tired and stuff, but I thought that we had a connection y'know. He saved my life."  
  
"Selphie you were inside a dead log about to tip into a creak. I don't think that your life was in jeopardy."  
  
"Even still, imagine if that was a cliff! I could've died, and he saved me. I love him, and he doesn't even call."  
  
Zell leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He opened them again to see the most heavenly creature he'd ever seen.  
  
About two meters away was a girl about his age with long brown hair tied up in a pig tail. She was wearing a denim mini skirt and a long sleeved tight white shirt. She stood with a bunch of her friends laughing. The most delightful laugh Zell had ever heard.  
  
She glanced in Zell's direction and made brief eye contact with him.  
  
Zell's heart felt as if it skipped a beat. Then he thought about what a sight he must be. Hanging with his head upside down and his mouth wide open blatantly staring at some girl. But he couldn't look away. It was like a glimpse of heaven, so beautiful you want to look away, but you know you can't.  
  
"Who is that?" Zell asked.  
  
Selphie looked over in Zell's general direction.  
  
"Oh that? That's the new girl. I don't know, I think her name might start with a T." Selphie replied.  
  
Zell let out a sigh; he continued to hang there in his dreamlike state some time after the girl with the pigtail had left.  
  
"I love her." Zell burst out loudly earning him the attention of nearly everyone in the vicinity.  
  
"...k..."  
  
Ok, sorry this chapter was ummm, lovey. I'm sorry if it was a bit too soppy for some tastes, but I liked it.  
  
Read, review... they both start with 'R'! What a coincidence! 


	13. Well I guess she closed her eyes and jus...

Nail in my hand from my creator. Well I guess she closed her eyes and just imagined everything's alright.  
  
Rinoa sat uncomfortably on Quistis's bed, yet again. She thought back hours before when she'd shared it with Squall. Another magical moment that she could put in her memory for eternity.  
  
"So what did you want to talk about Rinoa?" Quistis asked as she pulled the metal hair straightener through her silky blonde locks.  
  
Rinoa started fiddling with her fingers, trying desperately to think of a way to word this.  
  
"Ummm, I was thinking about my family and what they would want me to do now." Rinoa started.  
  
Quistis nodded and continued to straighten her hair.  
  
"And I think that they would want me to join the church..."  
  
"Hold on, back up. You want to become a nun?"  
  
Rinoa nodded vigorously and smiled at Quistis.  
  
"After we all risked our lives to get you out you want to become a nun?"  
  
Rinoa nodded a little slower this time.  
  
"...k..."  
  
"Hello is Selphie there please?" Quistis asked into the phone politely.  
  
"No sorry she's gone to Irvine's, can I leave a message?"  
  
'Selphie's parents are so placid compared to her...' "Yes could you please tell her Quistis rung and it was urgent?"  
  
"Sure Quistis. Bye."  
  
"Bye."  
  
Quistis hung the phone up and took a deep breath.  
  
'Damn it, Selphie could knock this out of her; Selphie can knock anything out of anyone.'  
  
Selphie walked up the stone steps leading to Irvine's front door and knocked three times on the large oak door.  
  
She waited impatiently at the front door till finally she pushed it open just to make sure that they'd heard her.  
  
Selphie felt an eerie silence through the house as soon as she walked it, which was unusual for Irvine's house. His house was usually loud with the sounds of his baby sister and his parents. Not to mention the noise pollution that Irvine's stereo produced.  
  
"Hello?" Selphie called out.  
  
She heard something muffled in one of the cupboards and went to investigate. Suddenly deciding this was a bad idea she turned around again to go up to Irvine's room. But she heard the muffled noise again.  
  
Finding the nerve deep down inside her she walked down the dark hallway to the cupboard it was coming from. She opened it apprehensively and gasped loudly at what she saw.  
  
She saw a tiny figure with a sheet draped over it, moving underneath it uncontrollably and crying out loudly.  
  
Selphie scooped the baby up in her arms and held it to her chest protectively. On instinct Selphie ran into the kitchen and warmed the baby up some milk which it drank eagerly.  
  
'Irvy's mum and dad would never do that. Neither would Irvine... something's not right here...' Selphie thought to herself.  
  
Selphie tapped the baby lightly on the back as she walked up the stairs leading to Irvine's room.  
  
Selphie was on edge and jumped at every creak the house made.  
  
She opened the door to Irvine's room and peered in. then she heard footsteps behind her. They were fast and coming directly for her. Reacting quickly she dived into Irvine's room and locked the door.  
  
She heard someone bang against the door hard and at that instant the baby started crying again. Selphie sat down in the corner of Irvine's room and rocked the baby back and forth.  
  
"Shhhh, don't cry..."  
  
"Ok Selphie's not home but if she was I'm sure she'd tell you all about what you'd be missing by becoming a nun. Like pizza and beer and stuff." Quistis continued.  
  
Rinoa smiled softly at Quistis and shook her head.  
  
"I'm sorry Quistis. Even though my father was slightly deranged this is what he'd want."  
  
"What about what you want! Surely you don't want a life of servitude after we just got you out of your last one." Quistis paused before going on, "and slightly deranged?"  
  
Rinoa chuckled lightly; she thought that Quistis of all people would understand.  
  
"Look Rinoa, I just can't comprehend why you would give up what we can give you for the nunnery."  
  
"I know it must seem slightly erratic but this is what my father would want."  
  
"Why do you care? He's dead!" Quistis said letting her mouth get away with her.  
  
She covered her mouth with her hand and instantly regretted it.  
  
Rinoa's eyes welled up and she sniffed quietly.  
  
"This is all the more reason why it is necessary for me to do this! Please understand Quistis. I need you to understand."  
  
Quistis rubbed her eyes in frustration. How could she understand?  
  
"The part I don't understand is how you can still care what your father would want. I thought you left because you didn't want to do what people wanted you to do anymore. Because you wanted to have your own free will."  
  
"I do,"  
  
"You're just a walking contradiction." Quistis sighed.  
  
Squall let out a heavy sigh and rolled his eyes.  
  
"I think she does this on purpose."  
  
"Yep. Have you ever considered that it might be you?" Zell asked.  
  
Squall glared at Zell then went back to complaining.  
  
"She wants to be a fucking nun. Typical fucking women." Squall scowled.  
  
"Cheer cheer to that. You set them free from their oppressive family only to have it shoved in your face with something like this." Seifer agreed.  
  
"Oppressive? Someone's been hanging out with Quistis too much." Squall laughed.  
  
"Speaking of hanging out with people. Where the hell has Irvine been?" Zell enquired.  
  
Squall shrugged his shoulders and Seifer did the same.  
  
"Its like he's dropped off the side of the planet or something."  
  
Selphie closed her eyes to try and block the images out of her brain. She didn't want to remember this ever. That was if she lived through this. She tried to imagine that she wasn't there, that she was safe in her room. But every time she's come back to the panting, grunting figure on top of her.  
  
Read and review... 


	14. There's darkness in my soul

Nail in my hand from my creator.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own final fantasy 8.  
  
Selphie groggily opened her eyes to find herself in Irvine's room. She couldn't quite recollect how she got there, but then it all came flooding back to her. What had happened... she choked back her tears and tried to sit up, but found that that was quite impossible.  
  
"H-hello?" Selphie stuttered but received no answer.  
  
She looked down at her feet and saw them tied together with a belt, as were her hands except with a ripped off piece of Irvine's sheet. She looked to her left and saw Irvine's little sister lying on the floor, she wasn't crying anymore but kept wriggling around.  
  
'Perfect... hmmm... what would Squall do in this situation?'  
  
Irvine sighed against his mouth restraint and darted his eyes around the room. His dad was still trying to get to his gun; his mother on the other hand was doing the exact same thing as he was.  
  
That's where Irvine got a lot of her personality. His love of guns came from his trigger happy father.  
  
Irvine heard footsteps upstairs and listened hard. They were heading towards the living room, where they were all held captive.  
  
"Ah, good, you haven't moved. We have a new guest now, you should all recognise her." John Pastor said happily.  
  
He pushed Selphie in the room that fell to the floor because her legs were bound.  
  
Irvine glared at John and then settled his eyes on Selphie. He locked eyes with her and saw it immediately. Selphie had lost something. Her innocence. The thing that made her Selphie was gone. The thing that everyone loved her for, the glint in her eyes had dulled.  
  
Irvine's father started thrashing around trying to signal John who inturn took the gag from his mouth.  
  
"I am an officer of the law; I demand that you let us go now."  
  
Irvine rolled his eyes, he'd said that about ten times already and it wasn't going to work.  
  
John merely put the gag back over his mouth and walked back over to Selphie. He rolled her over to where the rest of the family were sitting and left the room. Selphie didn't have a gag, but she didn't talk either.  
  
Irvine tried to mumble to her but she was dazed, she didn't listen.  
  
"Where the hell is Irvine and Selphie?" Zell exclaimed as he took a bite out of his rather large hamburger.  
  
"I dunno, maybe they're having alone time." Seifer replied.  
  
"We haven't seen Irvine all week and Selphie doesn't just disappear. You can't get rid of Selphie." Zell retorted.  
  
"Who cares, I think the more important matter is the whole nun thing." Quistis interjected.  
  
Rinoa had gone to get some drinks so Quistis took full advantage of her absence.  
  
"I know, but she just came out with it, as soon as Caraway and them died she went all spaz." Zell replied.  
  
"I think she's just in shock or something. She'll get over it." Squall said.  
  
"I spose..."  
  
The next day...  
  
"Hello?" Quistis said into the phone as she filed her nails.  
  
*Quistis dear, I was wondering if you'd seen Selphie. She didn't come home last night and I'm a tad worried.*  
  
"No sorry Mrs Tilmitt I haven't. If I see her I'll tell her to ring you straight away."  
  
*Thankyou, bye.*  
  
"Bye..."  
  
Quistis quickly dialled Selphie's cell phone number.  
  
*HEY THERE! It's Selphie here and I'm not here... kinda ummm... but leave a message after the BEEP and I'll make super sure that I get back to you!*  
  
"Hi Selphie, your mum's really worried about you so ring home."  
  
"Why... why are you doing this?" Selphie said quietly when John entered the room.  
  
"I'm sorry I didn't hear you."  
  
"Why are you doing this?" Selphie repeated louder.  
  
John sat down on the couch and stared at Selphie.  
  
"Because sooner or later Rinoa is going to come here. Caraway and the others have a head start on us but Rinoa and I will catch up with them in heaven."  
  
"How will you do that? Caraway's dead!" Selphie said urging the conversation on further.  
  
"Yes... your point?"  
  
Selphie shook her head and felt tears well up in the back of her eyes again.  
  
Selphie tried to think of something more to say. She inched closer to Irvine who stared at her in confusion.  
  
He felt something sharp come in contact with his hands and understood what Selphie was doing. She had something.  
  
'C'mon Irvine grab it, you've got more of a chance of getting out of here.'  
  
Irvine grasped it and held onto it. He began slowly cutting through the material that held his hands bound. As soon as John left the room he'd begin in the one around his feet.  
  
Quistis grabbed her keys and her jacket. She raced out her door without giving Rinoa any explanation of where she was going.  
  
'What if what Kayla said was right? What if Selphie's in trouble...'  
  
"Just go get help; you can't risk your life and your family's for this. Go get help." Selphie whispered as Irvine stood.  
  
He nodded and gave her a quick kiss before bolting out the door at the speed of light.  
  
Quistis couldn't get past the sinking feeling inside her stomach. She knew that something was wrong, something had to be wrong. Selphie never just up and left, she was pretty erratic but never that erratic.  
  
'Please be at Irvine's Selphie... please just have fallen asleep or something...'  
  
Quistis dialled Selphie's number again but got the same no answer.  
  
She threw her phone in the backseat in frustration and put her foot down further on acceleration. Suddenly she saw flashing lights behind her and a loud siren.  
  
'HOW IS IT THAT SQUALL AND SEIFER RACE ALL THE TIME BUT THE MOMENT I SPEED I GET PULLED OVER!!!!'  
  
Squall heard a loud knock on his door and immediately knew that it was Zell. Only Zell knocked like it was a twenty foot wide door, with a six foot wide steel casing.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Zell sauntered into Squall's room and sat down with a sigh on one of Squall's bean bags.  
  
Squall ignored the sigh the first time but the second one was so out there that it couldn't be ignored.  
  
"Whats wrong?" Squall said uninterestedly.  
  
"Nothing..." Zell replied adding another sigh.  
  
"Just get to the point."  
  
"Well I would've asked Irvine about this sort of thing but he's not answering his phone... and I asked Seifer but he said that my chances were nil and I should just keep masturbating so I thought that you might be able to help."  
  
Squall rolled his eyes and reopened the magazine he had been previously been reading.  
  
"Nice to know I'm always your first choice Zell." Squall said sarcastically.  
  
"Yeah, but there's this chick and she's really hot and stuff, but I dunno how to talk to her. Every time I even think about her I go all dumb."  
  
"What a change." Squall said absent mindedly turning a page.  
  
"Shut up! But what do you think I should do?"  
  
"Put her in your spank bank and move on."  
  
"I remember someone saying that to you about Rinoa and look what happened!"  
  
"Exactly, do what your gut tells you to do. Who cares what other people have to say about it, what matters is what you think you should do. If you followed what everyone else told you to do then you'd live a conformist, boring ass life." Squall said while reading about what to do if ever attacked by ravenous monkeys.  
  
"Wow that was awe inspiring."  
  
"I've been talking to my dad a lot."  
  
Squall suddenly felt bad about those words.  
  
"...Lucky..." Squall shut his magazine and sat up on his bed. Zell's father had died of cancer about five years ago. Zell was pretty broken up about it and hence his tendency to get into a bit of trouble.  
  
"You can always talk to my old man if you need to. You know that right Zell?"  
  
Zell nodded and quickly changed the subject.  
  
"So how are things between you and Rinoa?"  
  
Squall did a dramatic fall back on his bed and landed on his pillows.  
  
"Great... no more than great. She's everything. She's nothing like the other chicks that I've been with..."  
  
"Its cause she religious. Religious girls have values, more class in my opinion." Zell said wisely.  
  
"You've been out with a religious chick?"  
  
"Well there was that Satanist with the Mohawk. That girl had class." Zell replied dreamily.  
  
"I don't know, the day she ate that cockroach it sorta put me off."  
  
"Ow yeah... pure class."  
  
"Listen, I know I was speeding, here is my licence and registration. Can I go now?" Quistis exclaimed.  
  
"Could you please step out of the car and walk in a straight line ma'am?" the officer demanded.  
  
Quistis let out a frustrated cry and slammed her hands against her steering wheel.  
  
'Selphie... I hope you're alright...'  
  
Selphie leaned her head against the couch and closed her eyes. She couldn't believe that she was in this situation.  
  
'Only I could get myself stuck in this... why is it always me...'  
  
Wow this fic is weird... 


	15. You got blood on your face, you big disg...

Nail in my hand from my creator.  
You got blood on your face, you big disgrace.  
  
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT! Ok, when speech has something like this ** around it, it means that it's something "else" talking. Like not anyone's thoughts or anything, or them actually talking, but something "else".  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own final fantasy 8.  
  
Selphie lazily glanced into the kitchen to see a flash of blonde go past. She focused her eyes and saw Quistis sneaking around.  
  
"Q-Quistis?" Selphie's muffled voice called out.  
  
After the escape of Irvine, John had muzzled her mouth with a rag. A dirty rag at that.  
  
Quistis continued to stare around blankly. She'd clearly not heard her. Quistis continued around the kitchen and ventured out the sliding door into the backyard.  
  
'I've got to get Quistis's attention.' Selphie thought desperately.  
  
She kicked off one of her shoes which thumped next to the door, earning nothing out of Quistis. Selphie tried again to bang her shoe against the door, but nothing prevailed.  
  
'Shouldn't her hearing rock because of her lack of eyesight?' Selphie thought maliciously.  
  
Quistis stared around the house, she'd been outsight and through the kitchen, maybe this was crazy.  
  
'I'm sure there is a perfectly logical explanation for this...'  
  
Quistis thought that she heard something bang against the wall and was going to take it as her imagination, if it wasn't for about four other things banging against the wall.  
  
Selphie grinned under her rag as she watched Mr and Mrs Kinneas hurl their shoes at the wall after her.  
  
'She HAS to have heard that!'  
  
Quistis walked briskly towards the door separating the kitchen from the lounge. She pushed open the door and gasped loudly at the sight of Selphie and Irvine's parents tied up on the floor.  
  
"Oh my God!" Quistis exclaimed.  
  
"Too right Miss Trepe, your new God..."  
  
Quistis spun around and scowled at John. She put her hands on her hips staunchly and looked down her nose at him in the ultimate glare.  
  
Irvine ran into the local police station desperately.  
  
He banged on the buzzer signalling to the receptionist that someone was there and waited impatiently.  
  
"Welcome to Balamb police station, how may I be of assistance?" the perky receptionist asked.  
  
"You have to help me, my girlfriend and my parents are tied up in my house with some religious nut!" Irvine said quickly.  
  
"Ok sir, if you just calm down we will get you the qualified help you need."  
  
"Thankyou." Irvine sighed.  
  
Quistis raised her fists defensively as John approached her. He was licking his lips and holding his arms out to the side of him to show that he was unarmed.  
  
"Don't think I won't kick your fucking head in." Quistis threatened.  
  
John pierced his lips together and flinched mockingly.  
  
"What can you possibly do to me? What girly tactic would you use? A slap? A scratch?" John laughed.  
  
If it was possible, and it was, Quistis's glare got deeper. She didn't like people assuming because she was chick she couldn't inflict some serious damage.  
  
"Well if you're so confident, come and find out." Quistis replied.  
  
Selphie stared up at Quistis in fear. She knew that Quistis was tough but was she really THAT tough was the question. She'd felt John's strength firsthand, in more ways than she was ready to admit to, and whether Quistis could handle it or not was anyone's guess.  
  
'Look at this guy, he's huge.' Quistis thought to herself.  
  
She knew that she'd think of something, she always did, but what she was going to think of was the trouble.  
  
'Well I could be a dumbass and run up the stairs...'  
  
With that thought in mind Quistis bolted up the stairs and ran into the first room that came into her view. Which just so happened to be Irvine's parents room. Quistis looked around the room frantically looking for something to protect herself with.  
  
She heard John busting up the stairs and banging hard against the door.  
  
'He'll just break it down. Chainsaw massacre styles!' Quistis thought in a panic.  
  
Quistis ran straight for the closet and hid herself inside.  
  
'Great strategy...'  
  
She heard the door finally cave and John come smashing through.  
  
"Quistis... I know you're in here," John said in a sing-song voice.  
  
The doors to the closet swung open and John smiled spitefully at Quistis.  
  
"There you are my love."  
  
John grabbed Quistis's shoulders and flung her easily onto the bed. She landed with her body just on it and her head resting on the floor beside it.  
  
Quistis opened her eyes and immediately understood what was about to happen.  
  
'Doubt it spudnic.' Quistis thought to herself.  
  
She saw something glint in the corner of her eye and noticed a whip lying dully under the bed.  
  
'Kinky... gross... Grow up Quistis, this is your chance.'  
  
Quistis grasped the leather whip tightly in her hand and suddenly felt a strange sense of belonging. Like the leather of the whip, or the whip itself slotted into her hand, as one of her own fingers would. Or as if she found a family member that had been lost for years.  
  
Quistis felt John grab her legs and kicked him fiercely. She flipped herself over and cracked the whip above her head, almost expertly.  
  
"Bet your thinking 'ow shit' now."  
  
John still didn't seem fazed by the appearance of the object; in fact he seemed almost delighted.  
  
"You'll never beat me girl."  
  
Rinoa turned the TV off and gazed out the window.  
  
'I wonder where Quistis went... she sure has been gone a long time.' Rinoa thought to herself.  
  
Rinoa stood up and started making her way to the kitchen, a snack sounded like a good idea.  
  
*Rinoa my sweet*  
  
Rinoa spun around and looked around in surprise at what could've made the random noise.  
  
"W-who said that?" Rinoa quivered.  
  
*Look around*  
  
Rinoa stared around the room and shook her head in confusion.  
  
*To your right*  
  
Rinoa took a step to her right.  
  
*The mirror stupid!*  
  
Rinoa stared at the mirror and was shocked to see outside her own figure and faint figure of her father.  
  
"What the..."  
  
*Its alright. Don't ask me to explain it my dear, just know that we are now and forever one*  
  
Rinoa stared wide eyed at the mirror. She watched her own mouth speak the words and couldn't stop it.  
  
"How do I get rid of you?"  
  
*Never mind that. We both have some very important things to get to. I'm with you because I have unfinished business, until I finish it, I'm stuck with you.*  
  
"Well I don't want you here!" Rinoa screamed.  
  
*How can you get rid of me? I'm already dead!*  
  
"NO! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! I am not crazy! You have to go to my house, he's at my house!" Irvine yelled at the police officer.  
  
"Calm down sir, now what did this supposed intruder look like?"  
  
Irvine clenched his fists together in frustration and grinded his teeth.  
  
"It doesn't matter!"  
  
Quistis watched John fall backwards down the stairs as she forced him back with a bone shattering snap of her whip.  
  
She followed suit slowly in her leather stiletto heeled boots. She slashed it around again and felt the tip slice through skin slightly. John's face came up with a rather impressive slit on his cheek.  
  
"Sorry, I haven't quite got the hang of this thing yet. Maybe practise would make perfect?"  
  
"You can beat me to within an inch of my life, but no matter what you will still be useless, for you are nothing but a woman."  
  
Quistis put her hands on her hips and smiled, as you would at a child who just won't understand.  
  
"Now that just wasn't the right answer now was it?"  
  
Sorry, this took me ages. But I have an excuse, writers block. But it's over with now and expect my usual regular entries from now on.  
  
Read and Review. 


	16. I told God you didn't mean those nasty t...

Nail in my hand from my creator.  
I told god you didn't mean those nasty things you said.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own final fantasy 8.  
  
Ok, I'm writing this because I'm in the hell writer's mood and two chapters in one day isn't that bad... is it? Border lining on obsessive but I haven't posted one in ages so I owe it to you all. This chapter is more about Quistis than anything, the dark side of her at least.  
  
Squall pulled up outside Quistis's house and locked his door. He walked briskly up the stone pathway towards her house and knocked on the door three times.  
  
'The polite number of knocks.' He absent mindedly thought of.  
  
A saying that his mother had impounded into his very being from a young age. She was a fanatic at how many times you were supposed to knock, and many other interesting matters.  
  
After receiving no answer Squall took it upon himself to just barge inside.  
  
He saw Rinoa standing near the door looking quite torn.  
  
"Whats the matter?" Squall asked in a concerned voice.  
  
"Oh its nothing major, it's just that when I heard the door knocking I wasn't sure if I should answer it or not. I didn't want to impose on any of Quistis's grounds and then I didn't want to just leave someone standing at the door."  
  
Squall sighed and shook his head. He'd grown quite accustom to Rinoa's weird ways but sometimes they just sort of crept up on him.  
  
*Do NOT tell him about me... if you do, then I'll make your head implode!*  
  
"NO DON'T DO THAT!" Rinoa screamed.  
  
Squall looked up from taking off his shoes and held up his hands in defence.  
  
"I mean... don't do that... here. You should always take your shoes off outside."  
  
"...k..." Rinoa had a sigh of relief and turned around to go back to watching TV.  
  
"So where's Quistis?" Squall asked once he'd gotten back inside.  
  
"I don't really know, she left in such a hurry I didn't have time to ask."  
  
John lifted his head in defiance as Quistis made another threatening gesture at him.  
  
"You don't actually have the heart do you? You've hit me once, on accident. You're pitiful." John spat out.  
  
Quistis glared at him, but knew he was right. How could she physically slash someone in good grace?  
  
"I thought as much."  
  
"Shut up! What the hell do you know? You know nothing about me! I'm the biggest bitch in High School, I go out with the biggest asshole, and people run in fear of us!" Quistis yelled.  
  
"HA! You're nothing more than a scared little child. Look at your eyes; they're filled with fear and anguish. Not the right makings of a murderer." John stated, "You're nothing, filth, a loser."  
  
"SHUT UP!" Quistis screamed.  
  
"Ow, we hit a soft spot... loser, let me guess, freak?"  
  
Quistis covered her ears and closed her eyes as the memories came flooding back to her, her life before.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Standing in the middle of a dimly lit room was a little blonde hair girl.  
  
She wore a corded red dress with a white t-shirt underneath. Her shoes were covered in grimy socks and shoes that were held together with some tape.  
  
The girl sniffed slightly, but tried to make as little noise as possible. She closed her eyes to the world around her and sighed. Her life.  
  
Upstairs were a newly wed couple, making full use of their squeaky bed and screaming in either pure pleasure, or downright pain.  
  
In the room beside her she could hear the timeless screams of her parents. Her biological parents. Before she got taken away by child services.  
  
"YOU SIT AROUND THE HOUSE ALL DAY WITH THAT LITTLE LOSER! What the hell are you good for?" a masculine voice seeped through the walls.  
  
"Excuse me but if she's a loser then you made her that way!"  
  
"Really! That in there is not my daughter! That is just a little freak, some side show clown that you got knocked up by. Worth nothing! Is nothing, will never be anything. Just like her slut mother!"  
  
The girl remained perfectly still, never a tear streaking her face. She was used to this; the normality of it was scary. She heard loud footsteps coming towards her, but she didn't hide. She would not hide.  
  
Her father walked in.  
  
He was wearing a white wife beater, stained with beer and various sauces. He had a pair of black snap pants on and jandals. He clearly hadn't shaved in days and reeked of stale alcohol.  
  
He grabbed her by her collar and dragged her into the kitchen, where the argument was taking place.  
  
He pushed her to the ground upon her entry and pointed at her maliciously.  
  
"See that! That is your child prodigy, which is your gift to the world. An exact replica of yourself. NOTHING!"  
  
The girl flinched as a nearby plate fell to the ground beside her and shattered into about ten pieces.  
  
Instinctively she began cleaning it up, without beckon.  
  
"That's all she's good for... nothing... freak... loser..."  
  
Quistis threw her head back and tried to erase the memories from her mind, as she'd tried many times before. She felt a rage grow inside her, getting larger and larger. She started breathing heavily and clenching her teeth.  
  
'Wow, Quistis's stroking out or something.' Selphie thought as she watched from afar.  
  
"How dare you." Quistis said through clenched teeth.  
  
John made a mock hearing motion with his hand and replied, "I'm sorry what was that?"  
  
This only increased her anger further. She was slowly losing control.  
  
Quistis let out a frustrated cry and lashed out. The felt the whip circle around her head several times before she let it fly. Head on, straight into John's face.  
  
He fell to the floor on impact and didn't get up.  
  
Quistis dropped the whip and stared at the ground with tear stained eyes. She fell down dramatically and covered her face with her hands. Her entire body started shaking and she started letting out gasps and muffled cries.  
  
Selphie watched on in pain. She hated seeing any of her friends cry, especially not an emotional pillar such as Quistis.  
  
Quistis never let anything faze her, and to see her visibly break down and cry was something heart wrenching for Selphie.  
  
After that the police turned up, the appropriate charges were laid on John, who was only badly scarred by Quistis and knocked unconscious.  
  
Selphie approached Quistis apprehensively, around them were about five police men and Irvine and his family.  
  
"Quistis. Why did that hurt you so bad?" Selphie asked quietly.  
  
Quistis sighed and started walking towards her car.  
  
"You don't have to be so enigmatic, that's Squall's job."  
  
Quistis turned around and smiled at Selphie.  
  
"Good word use Selphie, I'm proud of you."  
  
"What happened in there?" Selphie demanded, "C'mon, you're my best friend!"  
  
"Did I ever tell you about my past?"  
  
"Well no, but its pretty self explanatory."  
  
"Not really. I wasn't always a Trepe. I was once a Gunter. We lived in Dollet, the back of it. The part you see on the Living Channel. Long story short, child services got involved and I was sent to live with the Trepes."  
  
"How is it that I don't know this?" Selphie exclaimed.  
  
"There's a lot you don't know about a lot of people Selphie. I don't expect to know everything about you."  
  
With that Quistis finally started on her way to go home for a nice cup of coffee and a long bath.  
  
Quistis quietly closed the door to her large home. She tip toed inside so as to not disturb Rinoa and Squall. She'd seen his car parked outside and assumed he was around somewhere.  
  
She glanced in the lounge and saw Rinoa asleep on Squall's lap, while Squall lay with his head back, also asleep.  
  
Quistis sighed and smiled at them. She remembered the feeling of a fresh relationship. How pure and unadulterated it felt. She missed it, but loved the understanding that Seifer and her held for each other.  
  
She almost felt and urges to invite him around but forgot it when she went past her bathroom and noticed her bath beckoning her.  
  
'Who needs a man when I can have chocolate strawberries in the bath?'  
  
Never were there truer words spoken. I don't know why I put two up in one night... it's a little weird. But I did say in the last chapter that my updates were ganna get more regular, and you don't get much better than this! 


	17. There's something inside me that pulls b...

Nail in my hand from my creator.  
There's something inside me that pulls beneath the surface.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own final fantasy 8.  
  
I full on week after John's psycho return.  
  
The Seifer, Irvine and Rinoa sat at a random cafeteria table, waiting for everyone else to retrieve their disgusting food and join them.  
  
"So whatever happened to Rinoa the nun?" Irvine asked as he poked at his spaghetti, it looked a little dodgy.  
  
Rinoa let out a little giggle and took a quick sip of her juice.  
  
"Off that. I was reading up about it on the internet and I decided that I can help people in better ways then shutting the entire world out." Rinoa replied.  
  
"For example?" Seifer enquired.  
  
"Well, I was thinking about becoming a social worker or something."  
  
"Which is a very respectable job Rinoa." Quistis cut in as she sat down with her tray.  
  
Rinoa smiled and continued eating silently.  
  
Soon Selphie Squall and Zell joined them, making the cliché complete.  
  
Rinoa...  
  
Rinoa closed her eyes and tried to ignore the voice inside her head. She'd neglected in telling anyone about her father inside her, not out of fear of her head imploding, but for the fact that they might think that she was starting to go insane. She was starting to think she was going insane.  
  
"Rinny, whats wrong?" Selphie asked.  
  
Rinoa opened her eyes and smiled gently at Selphie.  
  
"Nothing, I've just got a bit of a headache."  
  
Rinoa cupped a handful of water in her hands and splashed it upon her face. She looked up at her wet dripping face and quickly looked away. Whenever she looked at her reflection she would see her fathers outline around her. Like a cloud or something.  
  
'Get a grip Rinoa, your just upset because he died,' Rinoa thought to herself.  
  
Well actually Rinoa...  
  
Rinoa sighed and walked slowly towards one of the square boxes they call toilets.  
  
I'm doing this because you still need me, and as long as you still need me, I will remain in you forever.  
  
'Why can't you just leave me in peace?'  
  
... Have you ever been to hell Rinoa? I can't imagine you have. I'd rather be locked inside your mind then have to go back there.  
  
'You went to hell?'  
  
Apparently murder is a hell worthy trespass.  
  
'Apparently...'  
  
Squall felt his sides burning in pain and sweat ran down his face like water down a waterfall. He was currently doing laps around the field, as were the rest of his classmates. He saw Zell running in front of him, easily beating him.  
  
'Fucking show off.' Squall thought to himself.  
  
Zell was a natural athlete. He'd taken martial arts since he was born and dabbled in kickboxing and k1 fighting.  
  
"C'mon Squall; I know you can run faster than that!" Zell called from over his shoulder.  
  
Squall glared at him but continued at his steady pace.  
  
'Slow and steady wins the race.' Squall thought.  
  
Half an hour later.  
  
"You got your ass kicked Squall." Zell laughed.  
  
"I wasn't aware that it was a competition." Squall barked back.  
  
"Whoa... psycho."  
  
Zell tugged on his shirt and pulled it over his head. He grabbed his bag and walked steadily out of the changing room. It was the end of the day and he couldn't wait to get home. Then she came along again.  
  
Zell tilted his head to the side and sighed. Her hair was out today, very unusual. The light reflected off it perfectly and for once Zell was close enough to notice her deep, chocolate brown eyes.  
  
He saw her continue walking past him, giggling and whatnot with her friends. Then she looked casually over her shoulder and smiled at him.  
  
Zell waved back and grinned. He waited for her to turn the corner then started doing a spastic victory dance.  
  
Stop ignoring me Rinoa. We are meant to be together, now we can be together forever. Wherever you will go, so will I!  
  
'Would you just shut up! You're ruining everything!' Rinoa thought maliciously as she waited for Quistis beside her car.  
  
Tut tut tut Rinoa, I did not raise you to speak to me like that.  
  
'I don't need you, I'm happy without you so why are you still here?'  
  
Don't say that Rinoa!  
  
'I'm fine without you, I DON'T NEED YOU!' Rinoa screamed in her mind.  
  
LIES!  
  
"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" Rinoa screamed out loud.  
  
Rinoa clutched her head in her hands and collapsed to the ground.  
  
Most of the student faculty were staring at her with their mouths agape.  
  
Rinoa's eyesight was plunged into black and she could no longer hear what was going on around her. She could slightly feel the cold concrete underneath her jeans but other than that reality seemed very far away.  
  
"Whoa, did you hear whats happening out in the parking lot?" Irvine heard one kid exclaim.  
  
"Nah, what? A fight?" the other said excitedly.  
  
"Not even, Squall's missus is having an epileptic fit or something."  
  
"Ow we can't miss this."  
  
Irvine grabbed his bag and sprinted out towards the parking lot as fast as he could.  
  
When he got out there he couldn't even see Rinoa, but he could see a large circle around Quistis's car, so he assumed that's where she was.  
  
Irvine pushed his way through the crowd until finally he could see Rinoa. She was lying in the gutter with her eyes rolled back in her head and was vibrating and twitching furiously.  
  
Irvine saw a steady line coming through the crowd and soon saw Squall. He hesitated for a second before he ran up to Rinoa and cradled her head in his lap.  
  
Pretty soon the entire group were there. Know one actually had any idea of what to do.  
  
Rinoa felt herself he lifted up slightly and then be set down on with something comfortable to rest her head on.  
  
'Whats that?' she thought desperately.  
  
She felt a hand start smoothing down her hair.  
  
'...Squall...'  
  
As soon as Quistis turned up, the mood changed drastically.  
  
"Don't just fucking stand there someone call and ambulance!" she ordered loudly to anyone who would listen.  
  
As soon as this was said Rinoa's body started levitating. Her arms, legs and head still dangled but her body was heading straight up.  
  
"What the fuck..." Seifer muttered.  
  
Rinoa's body continued to rise until she was at least three metres in the air. Her body started gyrating violently till something ripped out of her chest. It looked like some sort of black cloud but just as it evaporated it made a resemblance of Caraways face and vanished.  
  
Rinoa hung in the air for a little while until she plummeted to the ground. She landed on the top of Quistis's car, bounced slightly, fell on the boot and finally landed on the concrete.  
  
Squall rushed to her side and felt her pulse. She was alive.  
  
Rinoa's eyes fluttered open and she looked around at her surroundings frantically. She didn't know where she was, she couldn't recognise anything around her, until her eyes settled on the sleeping Selphie beside her and she calmed down.  
  
"Selphie." Rinoa said groggily.  
  
Selphie sat up and stretched she cracked her back and looked at Rinoa.  
  
Selphie leapt out of her seat and engulfed Rinoa in a bone shattering hug.  
  
"Rinoa! I didn't know if you were ever going to wake up! My god you should've seen the wreck that Squall was! He was a mess! He's ganna be so happy that your awake. Well he won't show it but I bet he will! We finally got him to go home not that long ago, I said that I'd stay and watch you." Selphie rambled.  
  
"How long have I been asleep for?" Rinoa asked.  
  
Selphie thought about the question before replying, "About four days."  
  
"Four days?"  
  
But any and all of Rinoa's queries were stopped as Zell entered the room.  
  
He grinned wholeheartedly and started rambling on about how happy Squall was going to be, just as Selphie had.  
  
"Umm, where is Squall?" Rinoa asked sheepishly.  
  
"He's at Seifer's I think. Seifer's been full on the only one that Squall's been able to talk to. I'll never understand that relationship." Zell replied.  
  
"I think it's more like a brother thing, y'know. Like they hate each other, yet will always be there for each other." Selphie said.  
  
"Seifer's relationships with everyone are like that, I don't even think Quistis likes him." Zell laughed.  
  
"I like him." Rinoa said softly.  
  
Selphie giggled a little and replied, "We're only joking honey."  
  
Rinoa had a look of enlightenment on her face and smiled.  
  
Rinoa suddenly felt a feeling totally unknown to her, pure, untouched, freedom. For once in her life, she was actually free. She felt like shit, but she was free.  
  
Rinoa raised her head and closed her eyes. She felt warm tears slid slowly down her cheeks, but didn't bother wiping them. Because for once they weren't tears of anguish, they were tears of unpolluted happiness.  
  
Wow, this chapter wasn't very good; I could've put more detail into it. But oh well, whats done is done.  
  
I'm running out of things to do to people. Looks like its ganna have to end soon. sigh but I don't want it to end! Its not over yet! I've still gotta hook Zell up with that chick... and figure out a name for her. You could help if you want, her name's sposta start with T or something.  
  
Read and Review.  
  
Squall Seifer Irvine Zell Rinoa Quistis Selphie. 


	18. Sleeping awake

Nail in my hand from my creator.  
Sleeping awake.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own final fantasy 8.  
  
Please review my story. Its ganna end soon and I wanna have heaps so I can look back and say... that was my first and it rocked! So yeah, that's my big mission, to lure you all in and make you review. I mean it!  
  
Squall heard the shrill sound of the phone ringing downstairs. He cringed at every piercing cry the phone made. Like a nail being quite literally hammered into his ears. He'd specifically told both Laguna and Raine that should anyone call, he was asleep and did not want to talk to them no matter what. He hadn't slept in 36 hours and his food ration was scarce in the last four days.  
  
'Why the hell am I beating myself up about this? IT'S JUST A CHICK1' Squall's rational mind thought.  
  
'Well, your girlfriend is in a coma and the doctors have absolutely no idea why...'  
  
Squall threw all these thoughts away and tried desperately to get the sleep that his body craved.  
  
He felt the calming affect that always came over him when he was just about to go to sleep. But once again the phone rang.  
  
'I'm ganna kill them... I'm ganna fucking kill them!'  
  
Once again a wave of tranquility swept over him, but he heard his cell phone ringing. An old Christmas tune that he'd forgotten to take off once Selphie had put it on there.  
  
Squall leaned over to his bedside table and switched his phone off. He put his pillow over his head and let sleep come over him.  
  
Meanwhile...  
  
"Fucking useless prick!" Seifer swore as he shoved his phone in his pocket.  
  
Rinoa cringed slightly at the tone and words chosen by Seifer. She still hadn't gotten used to his unusually bad habit of swearing about everything.  
  
Soon after Rinoa had woken up, Selphie had taken it upon herself to inform everyone and get them to come down. Unfortunately Squall was indisposed at this present time.  
  
"How long till you can get out Rinoa?" Irvine asked from his seat on the window sill.  
  
"They said that I have to stay over night at least for observations or something. They don't know what happened to me so they think that its best if I stay... they said that they hadn't heard of someone waking up from a coma and being right as rain before." Rinoa explained.  
  
"Wow Rinny!" Selphie exclaimed, "You can be in the medical books or something!"  
  
Rinoa smiled at Selphie's ability to find the good in every situation. She wished that she could be as optimistic all the time.  
  
"Oh yeah Zell." Irvine interrupted, "I found out that chicks name, the one you've got a hard on for."  
  
Zell blushed slightly but urged him to continue.  
  
"Tatiana or something like that."  
  
Zell looked dreamily up at the ceiling and sighed.  
  
"Tatiana... isn't it perfect... yet simple... her name flows off my tongue like that of water falling from a waterfall. She is Aphrodite... Venus..."  
  
"You're a fucking faggot dude." Seifer cut in.  
  
"Shut up dick! I've heard you say much gayer!"  
  
"When?"  
  
Zell hesitated slightly before replying, "You said Irvine had a fine ass!"  
  
Zell bolted out the door before anymore could be said, or done.  
  
Seifer's face on the other hand contorted. His eyes widened and he started frantically staring at the floor, his hands clenched at his sides and if one listened closely, they would hear the grinding sound of his teeth clenching together.  
  
Then Seifer quite calmly said, "I'm ganna kill him, I'm ganna fucking kill him!"  
  
"Calm down Seifer. He was only joking." Quistis scowled.  
  
"Joking? JOKING! Is that what this is about is it? That little bitch needs to be taught."  
  
Irvine suddenly burst out laughing and said, "Dominatrix styles is it? With your whip and handcuffs?"  
  
"No Irvine only your parents are into that shit."  
  
Squall looked around the foreign surroundings calmly. The world around him seemed to be in fast forward, while he was stuck in slow motion.  
  
He was leaning against a wall and his scar was pounding, as it had hours after he'd first got it. Squall being Squall didn't complain about it.  
  
He looked down at himself and saw the weird clothes he was wearing. A pair of baggy black pants with black boots, this didn't bother him, what did was the jacket. It was big and bulky, black with a belt around the middle and some sort of armor or something over the shoulder, at least that's what he thought it was, it was gold with black connected together with a silver chain. The entire suit was gold trimmed at in his personal opinion the shoulder things made his shoulders look a lot broader than they were.  
  
He raised his head up to the room he was in. it was quite remarkable really, a large domed room that had a sunlight covering the entire roof. The middle of the room was filled with people dancing while around the room were many foods and people socializing. Everyone except him.  
  
He also noticed that a large percentage of the room were wearing suits similar to him, or female versions of it.  
  
'Go the line dancing.' Squall thought as he watched everyone dance.  
  
They all followed the same steps, completely opposite to what the parties Squall usually went to were like. It was more like chicks rubbing their asses all over guy's crotches... not that he was complaining.  
  
Squall felt like laughing about it, but his face wouldn't budge. He seemed to have a look of indifference stitched onto his face.  
  
"Yo."  
  
Squall looked to his left to see Zell running towards him, he was wearing on of the suits as well.  
  
"S'up Squall? Heh-heh, I guess we're both SeeD's now huh?" Zell continued.  
  
Squall watched him extend his hand out for him to shake. He mentally tried to make his hand reach for Zell's but failed, his body just stood there and looked at it.  
  
'What the fuck am I? A Zombie?' Squall thought in frustration.  
  
"Put it there man."  
  
Squall took a sip of his drink and ignored the invitation.  
  
'Wow, I can feel the liquid going down my throat... this sure is real...'  
  
Zell looked somewhat disappointed and brought his hand back to his side.  
  
"Hah, even as a SeeD, you're still the same. Well that's typical of you. Seeya."  
  
Squall watched Zell leave, he was confused about why he didn't just shake his hand, but didn't bother thinking about it anymore. He'd had dreams like this before.  
  
"Oh hey Zell. Wanna join the Garden Festival committee and..."  
  
Squall tried to look around for where Selphie's voice had come from, but his body wouldn't let him... as usual.  
  
"Sorry I... ah... Just remembered something! G-gotta go. Seeya!"  
  
"Hmmm... Squall! Hi!"  
  
Squall saw Selphie coming towards him. He mentally smiled.  
  
'Selphie never changes... she's so dependable.'  
  
"We'll be busy with a lot of SeeD stuff, but work hard on the Garden Festival too. Bye."  
  
With that Selphie left. Squall almost didn't want her to go.  
  
'Why the hell can't this ignoramus say something?' Squall thought maliciously.  
  
"S'cuse me! You right there."  
  
'Well she sure is being persistent about something.'  
  
Squall lifted his head and looked up at the stars overhead. He saw a shooting star go across the sky and looked back down. He shifted his eyes to the dance floor. He saw Rinoa standing in the middle of it also looking up at the stars.  
  
He ate up all that she was wearing... it was very sexy.  
  
She had a halter neck white dress on that came to about mid thigh. It had a white lace overlay on it that came about two inches longer than the actual dress. Around her neck she had a silver necklace with a silver ring hanging from it. And to top it off, she had white high heeled strappy shoes.  
  
Rinoa looked at Squall and smiled gracefully at him. She raised her index finger to the sky and pointed up.  
  
Squall gave her a puzzled expression and tilted his head up. She dropped her hand and started walking towards him.  
  
"You're the best looking guy here. Dance with me?" Rinoa said.  
  
Her angelic voice sent mental shivers up Squall's spine. But to Squall's body it did absolutely nothing. She seemed to be having a menial affect on him.  
  
Squall ignored her, as he had the rest of the people and took another swig of his drink.  
  
"Let me guess... you'll only dance with someone you like. Ok then... look into my eyes..."  
  
Rinoa began twirling her hand in front of Squall's face.  
  
It started to annoy Squall, both physically and mentally.  
  
"You're-going-to-like-me... You're-going-to-like-me..."  
  
'No duh.'  
  
"Did it work?" Rinoa enquired.  
  
"... I can't dance."  
  
'IT SPEAKS!'  
  
Rinoa smiled and grabbed his hand then started dragging him towards the dance floor.  
  
"You'll be fine. Come on. I'm looking for someone; I can't be on the dance floor alone."  
  
Squall's eyes opened and he found himself lying in his bed wearing the same pair of black boxers he'd went to sleep in.  
  
"Geez I was a raam." Squall said out loud.  
  
Squall suddenly realized why he woke up; there was a banging on his door.  
  
"Enter." Squall called out gruffly.  
  
Raine came in the room holding the phone. She looked kinda annoyed.  
  
"Squall talk to your damn friends. They've been ringing for hours." Raine ordered.  
  
Squall yawned and stretched his hands above his head, showing off his well chiseled body.  
  
Raine threw the phone on his bed and walked back out.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
Squall suddenly sat up in his bed and had a look of shock on his face.  
  
"How long?"  
  
Squall got out of bed and started rummaging around his floor for some clean clothes.  
  
"HOURS! Why didn't someone wake me up?... what do you mean you tried! You can't have tried very hard!... Listen, shut up... I'll be there soon."  
  
With that Squall hung up the phone and continued his search for clothes.  
  
Zell hung up the phone and thanked the nurses again for letting him use it.  
  
He returned to the room that Rinoa resided in and gave them all a wide eyed expression.  
  
"He's coming. His mum woke him up."  
  
Rinoa grinned broadly and shot out of bed exposing the blue p.j's Quistis had let her borrow. They were covered in little angel wings, Rinoa had grown quite fond of them.  
  
She raced over to the mirror and started trying to play with her hair.  
  
"Rinoa calm down! Since when have you been image conscious?" Quistis laughed.  
  
Rinoa spun around and pointed at herself.  
  
"Quistis look at me." Rinoa exclaimed.  
  
Quistis had to admit, she did look a fright.  
  
But she had a good excuse... she'd been asleep for four days.  
  
DAMN THAT WAS LONG!  
  
It's cool if you don't review its better if you do. 


	19. You'll be here in my heart, always

Nail in my hand from my creator.  
You'll be here in my heart... always.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own final fantasy 8.  
  
Rinoa lay in her bed staring out the window waiting for Squall. Everyone had decided to stay outside in the waiting area to give them some "alone time" which she thought was very considerate of them.  
  
She closed her eyes and smiled softly as she heard familiar footsteps coming towards her room. She subconsciously started playing with a couple strands of hair as she waited.  
  
Rinoa heard the door creak open slowly and turned to face him.  
  
Squall let out a breath that he didn't realize he was holding as he opened the door to Rinoa's hospital room.  
  
As soon as he saw her it was like the weight of the world was lifted from his shoulders. He couldn't hold back the relieved grin that spread across his face. He stood beside the door watching her eyes, waiting for them to close and for her to fall back on the bed. Waiting to wake up from this dream, it couldn't be real.  
  
"Squall."  
  
Her heavenly voice floated into his ears and he knew that it was real.  
  
"Rinoa."  
  
Squall walked towards her bed and sat down at the foot of it, not taking his eyes off her for a second.  
  
"Welcome back." Squall said simply.  
  
Rinoa's eyes welled up and her bottom lip started quivering. She leapt towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck.  
  
She felt one of his hands patting her hair, as he always did, and another hand wrap around her waist. She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed.  
  
She'd never felt so safe in her life. But she always felt like that with Squall. Like nothing could touch her.  
  
After awhile she looked up at him and smiled.  
  
"Finally." She sighed.  
  
"Well it's not really my fault... traffic was murder."  
  
Zell looked towards the game of cards that Irvine and Selphie were playing. Selphie was obviously kicking Irvine's ass, so the excitement of the game was lost.  
  
He was bored shitless, which wasn't unusual for him but this was exceptionally boring. He heard the sliding doors to the hospital open and he looked to where they were. Coming through the doors was his sun. Tatiana. She saw him and immediately started walking towards him. She had to be, he was standing in the corner with no one around him, and it had to be him she was walking to.  
  
"Hi." She said simply.  
  
Zell's heart skipped a beat but he remained cool.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"I heard that your friend was in hospital, and this may sound really geeky but I thought I'd see how you were." Tatiana said quickly.  
  
"How do you know who I am?" Zell exclaimed accidentally.  
  
He really didn't care how she knew; it was good enough that she did.  
  
"You, how could I not know you? You're like... nah."  
  
"Nah tell."  
  
"... I feel like such a dick... you're like the hottest single guy in school... everyone knows who you are."  
  
Zell looked away from Tatiana and to Irvine and Seifer. Who were, wide eyed, mouth agape, staring at them.  
  
Zell breathed on his knuckles and rubbed it on his chest. But then the thought hit him, single?  
  
"What do you mean by hottest single guy?" Zell exclaimed.  
  
Tatiana giggled and replied, "Ummm hello, Seifer Almasy."  
  
Seifer breathed on his knuckled and rubbing them on his chest, mimicking Zell's previous move. He then sat back down on his seat and went back to reading the old magazine that he had been prior to Tatiana's entry.  
  
"But that's not in my opinion." Tatiana said quickly, "umm, that's like everyone else... NO I mean."  
  
"Fuck they're perfect for each other." Seifer whispered to Quistis who chuckled.  
  
"Do you wanna go get lunch sometime?" Zell interjected.  
  
"SURE! Ummm woops. I feel like such a dick. I'm usually not like this it's just that I've had a mass as crush on you since forever."  
  
"Same... no I mean... umm... you're alright yourself." 'Yeah, that was the best save.'  
  
Quistis held back the laugh that was dying to come out, Seifer was right; they were perfect for each other. They could say the wrong things together.  
  
"Cool, uhhh... tomorrow?" Zell enquired.  
  
"Tomorrow's perfect!"  
  
"Bout twelve outside the pizza parlor?"  
  
"Yeah, that's great."  
  
"Great."  
  
"It really is just one thing after another with you." Squall laughed.  
  
Rinoa smiled weakly at him and let out a little giggle.  
  
"Sorry... I suppose you could have gotten someone much easier."  
  
Squall kissed Rinoa tenderly on the forehead and grinned at her.  
  
"Nah, I wouldn't trade you for the world."  
  
Rinoa smiled openly and stared at the ceiling. She sighed and began subconsciously counting the tiled on the roof.  
  
"I want to go home. I'm sick of being here." Rinoa complained.  
  
"Yeah, as you would be." Squall agreed.  
  
Rinoa hauled herself out of bed and walked to her window. She felt a sudden urge to tell Squall what had happened.  
  
'I can't do that. He'd think I was insane.' Rinoa thought.  
  
"Penny for your thoughts?" Squall said.  
  
Rinoa smiled again and shook her head.  
  
The next day... Rinoa's out of hospital.  
  
Squall had taken Rinoa back to Quistis's. Nobody was there. Quistis had gone with Seifer to spy on Zell and Tatiana, just because they're nosy.  
  
"Do you want me to stay with you till they get back?" Squall asked.  
  
Rinoa nodded vigorously before she ran upstairs.  
  
"Where are you going?" Squall enquired as she was going.  
  
"I need a shower and a change of clothes. I feel icky."  
  
'Thank you Selphie for teaching her your words.' Squall thought sarcastically.  
  
Squall sat down on the couch and turned the TV on. He heard the shower turn on. He felt the urge to join her, but couldn't imagine that she would like the surprise as his other girlfriends had.  
  
That was what he thought was weird about his relationship with Rinoa. She was completely different to every other chick that had come and gone. The others were already in bed with him, probably right now. Not that he wouldn't mind that with Rinoa it was just that he didn't seem to need it with her. Like there was more to the relationship than that. He could almost hear Irvine's voice saying.  
  
"What the hell are you talking about? Sex is the key to the universe."  
  
Or something to that extent.  
  
It sort of sickened him to think of all the freaky sex that him and Selphie had, he got a mental image and shuddered. Immediately blocking the images from ever seeping into his mind again.  
  
Rinoa finally came back down. She had a blue t-shirt on and a pair of black flared that shaped quite nicely.  
  
"It feels so much better to get out of those clothes." Rinoa sighed.  
  
She sat down beside Squall and felt his arm snake around her waist. She was used to it by now and knew that it was her duty to lean against him. But she didn't see it as a duty anymore, she wanted to.  
  
Squall turned the TV off after channel surfing for a little while. Day time TV always sucked.  
  
"So, am I the gossip?" Rinoa asked.  
  
"Well you performance at school was quite unusual. I imagine that they'll talk about it to their grandkids around here." Squall replied.  
  
Rinoa sighed, she didn't really want to be the talk of the town, but knew that it couldn't be helped.  
  
Zell sat down nervously at the table. He was on his date with his Venus, and he couldn't be more edgy.  
  
He'd seen Quistis and Seifer in the shop; miraculously they decided to go to the same place as them on the same day.  
  
'What a coincidence.' Zell thought maliciously.  
  
Tatiana smiled at him from across the table and he felt something rubbing up and down his leg. Zell looked down and saw Tatiana's foot doing it. He couldn't suppress the giddy grin that spread across his face.  
  
Tatiana smiled back at him and started slipping her foot further and further up Zell's leg till finally it was rubbing his mid thigh.  
  
Zell coughed when it got a little too close to his uhhh... area. He didn't expect the date would end up like this.  
  
Quistis's eyes widened and she nudged Seifer.  
  
"Look at where her foot is." Quistis whispered.  
  
Seifer choked on his drink and started laughing quietly.  
  
"Chicken-wuss'll be shitting himself!"  
  
Zell started tapping his fingers against the table waiting for someone to come and serve them. And trying to take him mind off other things.  
  
"Uhhh..." Zell stuttered.  
  
He looked over the table and saw Tatiana biting her bottom lip suggestively at him.  
  
Zell knew that look; he also liked to see it on potential intimacy partners.  
  
"You wanna go somewhere else. Like my place?" Zell asked daringly.  
  
Tatiana nodded energetically and stood up. She grabbed his hand and led him out of the store.  
  
Zell turned around as they were going and poked his tongue out at Seifer. Who just stared back, wide eyed.  
  
"Well I think that went rather well don't you?" Quistis giggled.  
  
Seifer just continued to stare at the closing door in shock.  
  
Selphie laughed wholeheartedly as she listened to Quistis's retelling of what happened at the eatery.  
  
She felt Irvine wrap his arms around her waist from behind her and smiled to herself.  
  
"Listen Quistis, I'll uhhh ring you back."  
  
Rinoa sat in silence with Squall. She was pretty positive that he'd fell asleep and she didn't want to wake him. She was comfortable anyway. She lay on the couch with Squall resting on her breasts with his arms around her waist.  
  
She'd turned the TV on again and was watching some old animated movie.  
  
She watched as some blonde girl was transformed from a girl in rags to a beautiful blue ball gown. She watched as she danced with her love, as she ran from her love and as her love found her. Rinoa looked down at Squall's peaceful face. The pure tranquility on it.  
  
Rinoa smiled and shifted some hair out of his eyes. She traced his face with her finger and sighed.  
  
"I hope nothing separates us again." Rinoa said quietly.  
  
She felt Squall's hold on her tighten slightly and heard him whisper.  
  
"You'll always be here in my heart."  
  
...END...  
  
Is it just me or was that end really anti climatic? Well I'm working on another one, yet another romance fic, with a twist. Well this one didn't really have a twist. If I could call it anything I'd call it a bike. That a two big rig trucks ran over, and some kids stole the wheels. Twisty enough? 


End file.
